The Eyes of Twilight: Version Two
by Broken Angel01
Summary: A rewrite of the original story 'The Eyes of Twilight'. Contains Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days spoilers.
1. The Twilit Road Between

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or anything else related to Kingdom Hearts. (Every time I have to say this it makes me depressed...)

**A/N: Well, as promised, here is the rewrite for _The Eyes of Twilight!_ For those of you who have read the original version, this story is a sequel to _The Way to the Heart_: _Version Two,_ so if you haven't read ****_The Way to the Heart_: _Version Two_****, I would be very happy if you did, though you don't actually have to read it to be able to understand this story. But, if you'd like to know how Roxas got reunited with the Twilight Town gang, I would recommend that you do read it. Speaking of sequels, this story also has a sequel called _Sunset Dreams, _which is currently three chapters long and will have more chapters coming in the near future.  
**

**Now, like ****_The Way to the Heart__: Version Two _this story takes place after Kingdom Hearts II, but _before_ they get the letter from King Mickey. This story doesn't really have much of a plot to it, though it's a bit of foreshadowing towards what _could _come in the future if Square Enix ever decides to make a Kingdom Hearts III. (In which case, most likely Nomura has ideas for a KHIII that are completely different from my ideas.) This story deals mostly with the relationship between a Nobody and their original self, specifically between Roxas and Sora. Basically _The Way to the Heart: Version Two_ and _The Eyes of Twilight: Version Two_ are stories telling the events of what could have happened in between the time Sora and his friends got back to Destiny Islands and the arrival of the King's letter, though _Sunset Dreams_ takes place just after they get the letter. Also, once again I apologize for the lack of an accent on Namine's name. If my computer can do them, I haven't figured out how yet! Also, the story _Sunset Dreams _fits better with the new versions of its predecessors. So, if you read _Sunset Dreams_, make sure you read the version two stories if you've only read the originals before. Another quick note. This chapter isn't too different from the original and it will probably have the least amount of changes in it. The ones coming up, though, will have a lot of changes.  
**

**Important**

**This story contains _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days_ spoilers. If you have not finished the game yet, I suggest you do so before reading this if you are not a fan of spoilers. All quotes within this story are taken from _Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, _and the original GBA version of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_, and are the property of Square Enix and Disney. Though I've played both _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories _(GBA version) and _Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories, _(PS2 version) I decided to go old school for this story! For those of you who've only played the PS2 version, I think you will find some of the differently worded quotes quite interesting, just as I did! Enjoy!  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

_"Fading memories, reconstructed memories, and a dream. A dream of you, in a world without you." (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)_

Chapter 1: The Twilit Road Between

_Roxas_

_Tram Common, Market Street_

Standing beneath the concrete underpass looking out towards the shops that made up the central area of the Tram Common and gazing fondly at the group of young teens gathered around him, along with Goofy and Donald, former member of Organization XIII, Roxas, once known as the Key of Destiny in the eyes of his old companions, lifted his peaceful face to a pale orange sky that could only be found hovering above the sleepy atmosphere of Twilight Town, and he smiled softly to himself, the sound of Hayner's sarcastic remarks, Olette's scolding, and Pence's laughter washing over his transparent body. Had it really only been less than fifteen minutes ago when the three Twilight Town teens had once again accepted him as their friend, despite the fact that they had only known him as a stranger in the real Twilight Town? When he had been a part of the Organization, he had never had the opportunity to introduce himself to Hayner, Pence, or Olette by name, though he had spoken to them, Pence especially, on a couple of occasions, but even so they had still somehow remembered him from Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, much to his surprise. He had never gotten a chance to interact with them very much in the real Twilight Town, other than the Grandstander incident, nor had he received an opportunity to get to know them on a more intimate level, much to his disappointment, but regardless of what was real or not, the three Twilight Town teens had still welcomed him back as if he were an old friend, which he was, instead of treating him like he was nothing more than that weird kid in a dark coat passing through Twilight Town.

_I was jealous. Maybe not consciously, but now that I look back on the past, there's no denying how I felt. Especially after I left the Organization and Axel behind. After I found out Axel had been keeping secrets from me, after finding out he'd been lying to me...how could I not have been jealous? Hayner, Pence, Olette...I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be _with_ them, and Ansem used my feelings against me..._

To the real Hayner, Pence, and Olette, he had been nothing more than a stranger passing through, and yet somehow their hearts had still been able to recognize him from Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town. He truly felt like he was living in a dream, but deep down inside, he knew this time what he was experiencing was very real.

_And it's all thanks to Sora._

Roxas turned to look at the Keyblade Master, who was leaning casually against the concrete wall beside him, and smiling at his other half, he contented himself with a soft, happy sigh before turning his attention back to the conversation at hand. He wasn't quite sure what the hold up was, especially since Kairi had been so insistent about wanting to indulge in a nice tangy bar of sea-salt ice cream, but from the little that had reached his ears before he had let his mind wander off into the realm of dreams and happy thoughts, seemed to suggest that Donald was still rather reluctant to allow the two ghostly teen figures to wander around Twilight Town in plain sight.

_Like he's one to talk!_

So far, Roxas was sure the residents of Twilight Town had not yet spotted either him or Namine, but as Donald kept insisting, as soon as either he or the female Nobody stepped out from behind the shelter of their hiding spot, they were bound to send the people wandering around the Tram Common into a bit of a panic.

_I guess that's the price we have to pay for looking like a pair of ghosts. I suppose we could always merge with our other halves again, but if we do, I might miss an opportunity to get my revenge on Seifer. I still need to get him back for the way he treated Sora earlier, and I haven't forgotten what he said about Hayner. If there's a disadvantage to being whole again, it's having to settle for a transparent body. Then again, I guess I could have a lot of fun pretending to be a ghost!_

It wasn't that he didn't like merging with Sora, quite the opposite actually, it was a surprisingly good feeling, but there were also times when he liked to move around on his own, especially since being transparent didn't hinder him from engaging in physical contact with other people. He could still put his arm around Hayner's shoulders, tug on Olette's dark hair, hold Namine's hand, and fight against Riku and Sora with the Keyblade, and in turn, they were able to feel him, just as if his body were as real as Sora's, which according to Sora, it was. The main advantage, though, to being apart from Sora was the fact that he could actually look at the Keyblade Master when they were talking to each other, instead of within Sora's head, or more accurately, within Sora's heart. It was a nice change, actually being able to look into the Keyblade Master's eyes.

_But being apart from Sora can also be a huge disadvantage because it's when we're together that I can hear his thoughts, instead of just making a guess at what he's thinking, even if my guesses are almost always right. Like Namine always says about Kairi, being a part of Sora is something that feels so amazing, there really aren't any words to describe it._

Which was why both he and Namine spent as much time within their other halves as they did on their own. With equal time spent in both positions, they weren't missing out on anything no matter what they did.

_Now if only someone could convince Donald to lighten up a little. And Sora's always telling me I act too serious all the time. Not that I can help it. It sort of comes from having a past like mine, and I've never been as outgoing as Sora is. But still, even Riku isn't objecting, and he usually acts more along the same lines as I do. Like me, he definitely doesn't have the same carefree personality Sora has. Personally, I could care less if anyone in Twilight Town sees me as long as I get to spend time with Hayner and the others._

Not surprisingly, seeing as how quickly Hayner had become a fiercely loyal best friend, taking the responsibility of his new role quite seriously, the blond struggler was refusing to listen to any of Donald's arguments, much to the court wizard's annoyance.

"I told you," Hayner insisted, waving his hand at a group of young children who were crowded around the moogle shop for emphasis, "the people in this town have seen weirder things than Roxas and Namine! So what if they look like ghosts?"

"They might be a little freaked out at first, but I'm sure they'll get used to Roxas and Namine soon enough. They got used to you, didn't they?" Olette pleaded, clasping her hands together and giving Donald a hopeful look.

The court wizard frowned and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know..."

"The longer you take to decide, the longer you'll have to go without sea-salt ice cream," Riku said calmly.

"Gawrsh, what do you think, Sora?" Goofy asked hesitantly, turning to gaze expectantly at the Keyblade Master.

"We'll do our best not to scare anyone," Namine pleaded, exchanging a quick smile with Kairi.

Sora threw his arms behind his head in what had fast become his trademark pose and he grinned sheepishly at the court wizard. "Come on, Donald, it's been a while since Roxas and Namine have had a chance to spend some time in Twilight Town. Besides, we have bigger things to worry about."

"We do?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Yeah, you see...we kind of spent all our munny on the train so...we don't have enough left to buy any sea-salt ice cream."

"What?" Donald quacked indignantly, forgetting all about the ghostly forms of the two golden-haired Nobodies.

Roxas shook his head in amusement and he permitted himself a small smile. "That's right. I almost forgot."

"Awww man, it's _always_ the train," Hayner grumbled, making a face.

"Don't worry about it, Sora," Pence interrupted, elbowing Hayner in the side. "Hayner, Olette, and I didn't spend _our_ munny."

"That's right! Hayner can pay for our sea-salt ice cream!" Olette said enthusiastically.

Jumping in surprise, Hayner glared at the female resident of Twilight Town and he shouted, "Hey! Why me? What about _your_ munny?"

"I'm sure you have enough to pay for all of us."

"But-"

"Well, now that that's settled, let's go get some sea-salt ice cream!" Kairi cheered, pumping her fist into the air.

"Hey, wait!" Donald shouted. "What about-"

"Forget it, Donald," Riku snorted, grabbing the court wizard's arm and dragging him out onto the street. "You heard Sora. Roxas and Namine are coming along just as they are."

"Even so, we should still exercise a little bit of caution," Pence warned.

Shaking his head, Roxas quickly fell into line behind Hayner, and together the group began to inch its way along the edges of the tall buildings surrounding the Tram Common, moving quickly towards the ice cream stand. Somehow, they managed to make it to the other side of the circular street without being seen, despite the fact that their group was plainly exposed to anyone wandering around near the clothing shop, and with the ice cream stand in sight, a small make-shift stand sitting near the moogle shop that only operated during the afternoon and in the evening, they quickly huddled close together in the shadow of a tall, rusty-coloured building to plan their next move.

Crouching next to Sora, Roxas gazed at the cheerful faces of the people moving in and out of the buildings on the opposite side of the Tram Common and shopping leisurely down the circular street, their laughter ringing like musical chimes clinking together in the wind. Frowning slightly, he turned slowly to look at his other half and tugging slightly on the Keyblade Master's arm, he said, "Hey, Sora? There's something I don't understand. Why _are_ almost all Nobodies born in Twilight Town? I mean, with the exception of Namine? What is it about this place that attracts them?"

Sora scratched his head in confusion, and smiling at the small group of people who had just hopped off the tram, he turned slightly so they were facing each other, his blue eyes sparkling in the dusky light of the sun. "Actually, I have no idea."

"Maybe you don't, Sora, but I might have an answer," Riku said quietly.

Jerking around in surprise, Roxas grabbed Riku's arm and he stared at the older boy in shock. "You mean...you know?"

"I don't know for sure, but I can make a good guess. This place, Twilight Town, exists in what His Majesty calls 'the Realm of In Between.'"

"The Realm of...In Between?"

"That's right. Twilight Town resides in neither the Realm of Light nor the Realm of Darkness, but somewhere in between the two realms, just like the Nobodies, which would explain why they have a special attraction to this place. In other words, Twilight Town holds a perfect balance between light and darkness, and as a result it exists somewhere between the two."

"So...the Nobodies come here because it feels like a place where they belong..."

"I guess that's one way of putting it," Riku said slowly, watching him closely. "Light and darkness. In Twilight Town, neither of the two forces is stronger than the other, although...even though Yen Sid technically lives in Twilight Town, the Fabled Countryside is actually closer to the Realm of Light than the rest of Twilight Town. According to the King, there are only three other places in all the worlds he knows of so far that exist in the Realm of In Between. At least, he suspects that's where they reside."

Unable to look into Riku's bright aquamarine eyes anymore, Roxas quickly ducked his head and he gazed uncertainly at his feet. "These three other places...what are they?"

"Traverse Town, Castle Oblivion, and The World that Never Was. Only, unlike Twilight Town, these three places are tied closer to either the Realm of Light or the Realm of Darkness, instead of existing in the middle between the two realms. That's what makes Twilight Town so unique. It exists _exactly_ in the middle. Somewhere in between the two realms."

"Don't you see, Roxas? That's why I felt so connected to this place when I was in Castle Oblivion," Sora interrupted, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "Even though I had never been to Twilight Town before, it still somehow felt important to me because it was important to _you_. Those feelings were real. Your memories are like the other half of my heart, but at the time I..."

"You didn't even know what Nobodies were. You can't blame yourself for something that was completely out of your control."

Sora nodded slowly and the Keyblade Master gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Roxas."

"No wonder this place is stuck in never ending twilight," Donald grumbled, pointing his wand at the pale orange sky for emphasis.

"Gawrsh, Donald, I think it's kind of nice," Goofy said cheerfully.

Brushing a stray strand of silver hair out of his eyes, Riku's gaze followed the path of Donald's wand, and surprisingly, what looked like the ghost of a smile suddenly slipped almost unnoticed across the older boy's face. "I guess there's more than one way to stare at the sky. This place looks like it's shrouded in twilight, but to me it's no different than the light of dawn. Either way the sun is still waiting just around the corner for you, even if the one path means it just might take you a little bit longer to get there."

Gazing silently at the older boy, Roxas couldn't help remembering a rather interesting conversation Riku had told them about earlier back when they had been in the process of explaining Sora's story to Hayner and the rest of the Twilight Town gang. Just outside of Castle Oblivion, what could have been considered an unforgettable conversation had taken place between Riku and Ansem the Wise. It was a conversation Roxas believed had truly changed Riku's fate.

_**"What are you making me choose now?"**_

_**"Will you take the road to light or the road to darkness?"**_

_**"Neither. I'm taking the middle road."**_

_**"You mean the twilit road to nightfall?"**_

_**"No...the road to dawn."**_

_The road to dawn...The road to a new beginning..._

Lifting his deep blue eyes to the sky, his gaze coming to rest on the sun's fiery orange surface glimmering serenely in the distance, Roxas suddenly found himself at a loss for words. It was almost as if he were seeing his place of birth in a new light. Instead of threatening to slip out of sight, the sun appeared to be on the verge of rising, almost like an elusive dream taking its first small steps towards reality. It was a beautiful sight, and Roxas could almost feel the warm rays of the sun seeping into his transparent body. Never before had he felt so alive, and the way the sun seemed to be peeking at him from just over the horizon made him smile. Despite hanging suspended in the air between light and darkness, the sun still shone brightly in the sky, its sleepy golden glow hovering over the tranquil streets of Twilight Town in a state of eternal gloom. No longer did the twilit streets around him feel like a symbol of imperfect knowledge, nor did they represent a lack of understanding. To him, his sleepy little town had become the symbol of a new beginning.

To him, Twilight Town was the start of a new dawn.

_**"Even if you take apart the chain of memories in my heart, the links will stay there. This memory will always be inside me somewhere..."**_

"What do you think, Roxas?" Namine asked quietly, taking his hand and giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. Surprisingly, she looked quite serious, and yet at the same time the corners of her mouth were turned up in a beautiful smile and her sparkling blue eyes were shining brightly in the pale light of the sun.

Blushing slightly, despite his ghostly cheeks, Roxas quickly looked away from the female Nobody, and once again he reached out to put his hand on Riku's arm. "I don't think anyone else has ever seen Twilight Town the way you do, but..."

"You think I'm wrong?" Riku asked mildly, his expression unreadable.

Shaking his head, Roxas murmured, "No. Actually...I like your view of Twilight Town. It feels...right. I've always felt like I belong here. It might have taken me a little longer to reach the end of my road, but I got there in the end, just like you."

"It seems all our roads led us to you, Sora," Kairi said softly, beaming at the Keyblade Master.

"And I guess there's no other place we'd rather be. Just don't let it go to your head, Sora," Riku smirked, punching the Keyblade Master lightly in the arm.

Frowning indignantly at his best friend, Sora elbowed Riku in the ribs and he crossed his arms over his chest. "When have I ever let anything go to my head?"

Without thinking, Roxas said, "Well, sometimes you do try a little_ too _hard to be a hero, but I'm not complaining. That's what I like about you. If you didn't act like that, you wouldn't be you."

Sora stared at him, and turning to look at Hayner, the Keyblade Master said accusingly, "And you tried to tell me he didn't have a heart."

"Do you really have to keep bringing that up all the time?"

"Roxas, when you first woke up in Twilight Town, you didn't remember me, right?" Sora asked, ignoring Hayner.

Roxas felt the Keyblade Master fling an arm around his shoulders, and frowning in confusion, he quickly shook his head. "No, I...I didn't remember anything. I mean...after I'd been in the Organization for a while, I started seeing glimpses of you in my dreams, and then it started happening even when I was awake, but...I couldn't _remember _anything. Even your name. I knew your name, but it meant nothing to me. Like I said before, I never made the connection. Even when Riku told me the truth about myself, I couldn't except it. It was only after what happened in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town that I was finally able to discover the entire truth and to accept it."

"You couldn't remember being Sora because Sora wasn't a Heartless long enough for you to have any memories of him," Riku agreed, but despite his neutral tone, his aqua eyes had grown dark and stormy.

"Exactly!" Sora said triumphantly. "Unlike the other members of the Organization, Roxas couldn't remember being his original self because I hadn't been a Heartless long enough for Roxas to have any memories of me. There's no way he could possibly remember what it felt like to have a heart, which means there's no way he can fake his emotions; not like Xemnas and the other Nobodies. He means everything he says. Right, Roxas?"

Roxas stared at the Keyblade Master with his mouth hanging open, and to his complete surprise, his whole face lit up. "I've never thought about it like that before, but...you're right! I don't remember what having a heart is supposed to feel like, so...how can I fake something I never had the chance to experience?"

"Kairi's right, we do have hearts!" Namine said happily, clasping her hands together beneath her chin. "I _feel_ it. It has to be true!"

For once, Roxas had to agree and for the second time since coming to terms with being a Nobody, he was truly starting to believe.

"Vexen was right about one thing, you're the other side of my heart and I don't mind sharing at all," Sora suddenly said softly in his ear.

_**"Then recall that this place was made from another side of your memory. Yes, the other side of your heart knows this place. The other side remembers..."**_

His heart was truly the same heart as Sora's, but perhaps instead of merely existing within the Keyblade Master, they both carried one half of that heart within themselves.

_It's not so bad being me. Nobodies are supposed to be insignificant, overlooked, and pretty much forgotten, and yet when you're a Nobody, everyone wants to find out who you are and where you belong._

Gazing directly into the Keyblade Master's eyes and hoping the others couldn't overhear him, Roxas smiled at his other half and he said quietly, "Me either. I thought it would bother me, but now I know just how wrong I was. But...I wouldn't want to share with just anyone."

"Same here."

Sora looked like he wanted to say more, but before the Keyblade Master could open his mouth again, Hayner suddenly hit him hard on the back of the head. Roxas felt Sora's nose smack painfully against his shoulder, and he caught hold of the Keyblade Master's arms just in time to stop both of them from falling onto the street lined with rusty-coloured bricks.

"Hayner!" Olette scolded, frowning disapprovingly at the blond struggler.

"A-hyuck, that looked like it hurt!" Goofy piped up, concern on his face.

Letting out a soft groan, Sora rubbed the back of his head and he glared indignantly at Hayner. "Hey! You don't have to be so rough!"

"Why didn't you tell me Roxas couldn't fake emotions earlier when I accused him of not having a heart?" Hayner demanded, punching Sora in the shoulder for good measure. "If I had known that..."

"Is that what this is about?"

"Obviously! What did you think this was about?"

"Well," Sora said slowly, apparently lost in thought, "I didn't actually think of it at the time, and besides, I sort of wanted you to trust Roxas all on your own."

Hoping to get Hayner's attention, Roxas tugged on the other boy's arm and he gazed uncertainly at his feet, unsure of whether or not he should speak. "Listen, Hayner, I'm kind of glad Sora didn't tell you. I...it makes what you said to me more meaningful..."

"Really? Well, if it means that much to you then I guess I'm fine with it."

"Right," Donald muttered.

"I don't know what the big deal is," Sora said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

Glaring at the Keyblade Master, Hayner attempted to smack the other boy on the back of the head again, but this time Sora was ready for him. Summoning Oblivion, Sora held the dark Keyblade over his spiky hair, and unfortunately for Hayner, before he could halt the speed of his arm, his hand collided spectacularly with the Keyblade. Letting out a yelp of pain, the blond struggler quickly snatched his arm back and he cradled his injured hand against his chest, a small pitiful whimper that nobody bothered to pay any attention to escaping from his lips.

"Um...Riku?" Olette asked hesitantly, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of red. "If Twilight Town really does exist in the Realm of In Between then what does that mean for us, the people who live in this town?"

Riku glanced over his shoulder at the female resident of Twilight Town, and although Roxas was sure the older boy had caught the blush on Olette's cheeks, he gave no sign that he had seen it. "If you think living in Twilight Town makes you any different from those of us who live on Destiny Islands, or anywhere else in the Realm of Light for that matter, it doesn't. Your choices are what make you who you are. Where you live doesn't change what you feel inside. Both light and darkness exist inside of all our hearts."

"Unless, of course, you're a princess of heart!" Sora joked.

"Hey, I have my moments!" Kairi laughed, her head coming to rest gently against Sora's shoulder, much to the Keyblade Master's surprise.

"Even Nobodies have their moments of good and evil, whether they realize it or not," Namine said quietly, her bright blue eyes growing distant and thoughtful.

To Roxas, it looked as if she had lost herself in some memory that up until now had been neither meaningful nor significant to her in any way, shape, or form, but thanks to Riku, it looked as if she was starting to view the past in a whole new light.

_Just like me..._

"Hey, Riku, even if what you say is true, we still exist in Twilight Town," Pence said slowly, shaking his head. "Doesn't that mean, like with all the Nobodies who are born in Twilight Town, that we too exist in neither light nor darkness?"

"What, you have a problem with being the same as the Nobodies?" Hayner demanded, glaring at Pence.

"Huh?"

"You have a problem with being like Roxas?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant!"

"If you ask me, being a Nobody isn't so bad, especially if you get to be one like Roxas," Hayner said loyally, acting for all the world as if he hadn't been the first one to accuse the ex-member of Organization XIII of being an evil, heartless Nobody.

Shaking his head in amusement, Roxas threw an arm around Hayner's shoulders and he smiled at his three friends from Twilight Town. In the past, being referred to as a Nobody would have bothered him more than he would have ever admitted, but now he hardly noticed because it felt so natural. Every time Hayner would call him a Nobody, it never sounded like an insult, and the same was true for Pence and Olette. Even when they joked about his true nature, they somehow had a way of making it sound like being a Nobody was something to be proud of. Sora was the same way, though Roxas knew the Keyblade Master disliked the term and would refrain from calling him a Nobody as much as possible, despite his reassurances that he didn't mind and he wasn't going to hide from his past. In those unavoidable moments when Sora did have to call him a Nobody, like Hayner and the others, the Keyblade Master never made it sound like an insult.

_**"Hey, friends have gotta be able to lean on each other now and then. Ain't that right, Roxas?"**_

"You exist wherever you want to exist," Riku said simply, startling Roxas out of his thoughts. "The same is true for the Nobodies. Only you can decide which path you'll follow. No one else can make that decision for you, not even your other half. Isn't that right, Roxas?"

Roxas turned slowly to look at Sora and the two of them smiled at each other. "That's right. Wherever you are, in order to even end up there in the first place, you have to _want _to be there. The path you follow is the one you choose for yourself. My road led me here, right to this very moment. Call it the Realm of Light, the Realm of In Between, or the Realm of Darkness, it doesn't matter. This is where I am and this is where I want to be. Nothing else matters."

Blinking in surprise, Pence grinned sheepishly at him and the shorter boy scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "You're right, Roxas. It's just...for a moment there I was starting to wonder if maybe the real Twilight Town...well...I was starting to think it might be just as fake as Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town."

"I wouldn't worry about that. You look and feel real enough to me."

"Maybe, but so did the simulated Pence!"

"Will you stop being such a dork?" Hayner snorted, nudging Pence in the ribs. "We're real and so is Roxas. Get used to it."

"That's rich coming from you," Olette muttered, shaking her head.

"Hayner's right. Darkness can be pretty deceiving sometimes," Riku warned. "I found that out the hard way. It can also hide the good that exists in all of us, but if you learn how to use its power the right way, it can also be your friend."

"Kingdom Hearts," Goofy said solemnly.

"Does Kingdom Hearts really exist in the Realm of Darkness?" Olette asked hesitantly.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Sora nodded slowly, and frowning to himself the Keyblade Master gazed solemnly at the Keyblade resting in his lap. "Yes, but like Riku said, it's what's on the inside that counts. Kingdom Hearts isn't what Xehanort thought it was. I know. I've _seen_ it. Kingdom Hearts _is_ light."

"Know that the darkness is there, but don't give in," Kairi and Namine said together. "Do that, and you'll gain strength unlike any other. You'll be able to escape the deepest darkness-"

"And see through the brightest light," Riku finished, smiling at Kairi and Namine in acknowledgement of their words. "Maybe Kingdom Hearts is a little bit of both."

Staring at Riku in surprise, Sora's face suddenly softened into a smile, and dismissing Oblivion with a wave of his hand he nodded in agreement. "Maybe it is."

"Who cares? I thought you guys said we were going for ice cream!" Donald complained, tapping his staff impatiently against his foot.

"A-hyuck! Nothing gets between Donald and his stomach, not even Kingdom Hearts!" Goofy said cheerfully.

"Who asked you?"

"Wait, before we get ice cream, there's one last thing I want to know," Hayner interrupted, glancing around first to make sure there was nobody near enough to spot them before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Now that Xehanort, Maleficent, Xemnas, the Organization, and all the other bad guys are gone, does that mean...What about all the Heartless and the lesser Nobodies? Whatever happened to them?"


	2. Servants of the Key

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, etc.

**A/N: And the rewrite for chapter two is done! Finally, I know. Just to let you all know what's coming up, I will be finishing this rewrite first before I continue writing the sequel _Sunset Dreams _because I don't want to end up contradicting myself in that story with regards to what I write in this one. I will do my best to get this one finished as soon as possible because I know you all want updates for the sequel. As per usual, I will recheck the chapter tomorrow for any mistakes I might have missed. All quotes are from _Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, _and _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days_ and are the property of Square Enix and Disney. Enjoy!  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

Chapter 2: Servants of the Key

_Roxas_

_Tram Common, Market Street/ The Forest_

"Good question," Donald muttered, glancing suspiciously at the residents of Twilight Town who were shopping along Market Street without any idea they were being watched.

There was a long moment of tense silence, and frowning thoughtfully to himself, Roxas hesitantly closed his eyes, his mind focusing on the Samurai Nobodies who had been so eager to bring him back into the Organization. They had even gone so far as to actually allow Axel to order the Dusks around, doing nothing to stop the Dusks from searching for him, just so they could report to their leader again.

_They never tried to stop what was happening. Then again, Axel was the only member of the Organization my Samurai Nobodies tolerated, other than the Superior, probably because they knew how I felt about him. Now that I think about it, even the Superior had a hard time getting them to follow orders compared to the other lesser Nobodies, especially when I was present. Not that I really saw Xemnas all that often, and it wasn't like I really ordered my Samurai Nobodies around all that much, but still...On the surface it always seemed like Xemnas had more control over my Nobodies than I did, at least to the other members of the Organization, I bet, but...they never saw me when I was alone with my Nobodies. They never saw the way they acted so loyal to me...the way they obviously preferred me over the Superior..._

During the year he had spent with the Organization, he had wasted a lot of time striving to emulate the behaviour of the other members of their little gathering of powerful Nobodies, not so much with how he felt, but with regards to how he performed on his missions, especially since performing well meant staying on the Superior's good side, and it also meant staying out of a one on one confrontation with Lord Xemnas himself in the meeting room, but when it came to his Samurai Nobodies, he had treated them the exact opposite of the way his fellow members of the Organization had treated their lesser Nobodies, except perhaps for Demyx. Unlike the other members of the Organization, very rarely had he ever taken his Samurai Nobodies along on a mission, preferring either to go by himself or to go with whichever member Saix had decided to team him up with for the day, something he was sure the Superior had approved of since allowing your lesser Nobodies to do all your work for you could be seen as a sign of weakness, though that had never stopped Demyx or Larxene from occasionally taking the easy way out. The difference between them, though, was the fact that Larxene had treated her lesser Nobodies like tools while Demyx had treated his more like old friends. The only occasions where Roxas had spent a lot of time with his Nobodies was while in training at the castle. He hadn't hesitated to recruit his Samurai Nobodies for his training, but apart from that he had mostly left them alone to do as they wanted. Reason being? Most of the time, he just couldn't bring himself to make them do his bidding, and being around them for long periods of time had always made him feel...kind of sad. Beings without hearts who wandered endlessly searching for something they had lost and were unlikely ever to retain as long as Kingdom Hearts continued to be threatened by the darkness of the Heartless and all those seeking its strange pull and its overwhelming amount of power.

Though he had not spent a lot of time with his Samurai Nobodies, during those moments when he had given them his attention, they had responded favorably, and they had often enjoyed being close to him in training, as if sensing the heart he had forgotten.

The heart that was his to share with all those he cared about. The heart that was his greatest asset. The heart he knew he would never give up for any other heart in all the worlds that existed in every realm, be it light or darkness, or a realm somewhere in between.

Sora's heart.

_ My Samurai Nobodies...I wonder where they are now. Did any of them manage to survive after Sora and Riku defeated the Superior? They were always loyal to me, despite the fact that I didn't spend that much time with them, even after I left the Organization. Surprisingly loyal, now that I think about it. None of the other members of the Organization seemed to have the same kind of relationship with their Nobodies that I had, even Demyx, though he did treat his own with a lot of respect. Maybe it was because I made a point of treating my Nobodies like they were human, the same way I wanted to be treated, which wasn't normally the case with most of the others. Maybe it was because they could see something in me that I couldn't see in myself. Axel used to say it was because obviously they could sense my heart. My non-existent heart, he used to tease. Whether he meant within me, within Sora, or maybe within both of us, I guess I'll never know. I used to think he was just joking when he would say things like that, since he was always talking about how we Nobodies don't have any hearts, but maybe for once he was actually being serious..._

_**"Listen to you. How come you do that? Talk like you're a real person..."**  
_

"Their numbers may be smaller, but I don't think they're gone completely," Sora said slowly, once again taking a seat on the ground and leaning his back against the rusty-coloured building towering above his head. Summoning Oblivion and placing it on the pavement next to his right hand, the Keyblade Master rested his arms on his knees, his eyebrows narrowing into a slight frown. "I'm pretty sure the Nobodies must be a small group, since Roxas is the only surviving member of the Organization, but as for the Heartless..."

_The Heartless..._

Thankfully, the building they were all huddling against was covered in shadow and the street around the back of the moogle shop was deserted, otherwise they most likely would have been spotted by someone strolling past, looking for a decent place to shop. As it was, the street was pleasantly empty, but even so Roxas couldn't help scanning the dark corners of the buildings for any sign of the Heartless scuttling just beneath the surface of the pavement.

"As long as the hearts of all the people who live united under Kingdom Hearts, no matter what realm they live in, remain strong and free from the darkness, the worlds will remain safe," Riku said nonchalantly, his aqua gaze scanning the horizon.

"When you put it that way it sounds pretty easy," Hayner snorted, "but from everything I've heard so far, the chances of that happening are-"

"Not very good," Olette moaned, shaking her dark head in despair. "There are always going to be people who are attracted by the lure of darkness, and once they inevitably give in to the temptation of evil, the Heartless will invade."

"And along their path of destruction they'll steal the hearts of the innocent," Namine said quietly.

"Which leads us to another problem," Kairi sighed. "More Heartless means more Nobodies, so if the Heartless were to invade again it would put us right back to square one."

Sora nodded in agreement, and making a face he picked Oblivion up from where it lay next to him on the ground. Twirling the Keyblade lightly in his hands, he said, "What about Maleficent? I don't know about you guys, but I believe she's still alive, and thanks to her, Pete probably survived, too. Do you really think she would have let a bunch of Nobodies take her down? She wanted the Organization's castle and I can't see her giving it up that easily. For all we know, by this time she could have gained complete control over The World That Never Was, and if she decides to use the Heartless again and maybe even the surviving Nobodies..."

"In other words, we need to be prepared for anything," Riku said firmly, summoning his own Keyblade and pointing it at each of them in turn. "To believe the Heartless and the Nobodies are extinct would be stupid and incredibly dangerous. Chances are they're out there somewhere, and if they suddenly decide to threaten our worlds again, we need to be ready for them."

"Gawrsh, you really think they'll attack again?" Goofy asked hesitantly, gazing anxiously at Riku.

"Let them try!" Donald said confidently, thrusting his staff into the air for emphasis. "I'd like to see them get past my magic. Besides, if I stay away from Disney Castle for much longer, Daisy will kill me."

Seeing as how the court wizard didn't look too eager at the thought of returning to Disney Castle, nor did he appear to be in a hurry to get home, more than likely he was telling the truth about Daisy, which certainly explained a few things. If Sora's memories could be believed, Daisy had the potential to be even scarier than the Heartless and the Nobodies combined, especially when she was in a bad mood.

_They're still alive. I can feel them, even from far away. I wonder if..._

Roxas slowly opened his eyes and taking a deep breath he turned his attention to the small group huddled around him. Smiling hesitantly, he said slowly, "I might not be able to speak for the Heartless, but I do know there are still some Nobodies hanging around."

"How do you know that?" Pence asked curiously.

"I...I can feel them. My Samurai Nobodies. A lot of them survived in The World That Never Was. They...they might come, if I call them."

"Really?" Hayner asked eagerly, his dark eyes lighting up with interest.

"I'm not sure, but I think so."

"Uh...do you really think that would be a very good idea?" Pence mumbled, looking a little bit unsure of himself.

"What he means to say is, are you crazy?" Donald quacked indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head in disbelief.

Frowning in annoyance, Hayner pushed Donald aside with his hand and glaring at Pence, he said, "What do you know, dummy? Forget them, Roxas. If you can still summon your Nobodies, then they'll answer at least one of our questions. Besides, I want to see this. Twilight Town has been really boring lately. It's about time something interesting happened."

"Hey, be careful what you wish for," Olette scolded. "The last time something interesting happened we ended up with two Twilight Towns!"

Uncertain of whether or not he should attempt something that could potentially put the whole town in danger, Roxas nervously scratched his head, unsure of how to proceed, and twisting his hands together he turned to glance hesitantly at his other half. "What do you think, Sora?"

_What if they don't answer me? I mean, there's just no way around it. I didn't often spend time with them and I rarely recruited them for help. What if...what if I no longer have control over them? That is, if I even had any control over them in the first place. I know earlier I said they seemed to prefer me over Xemnas, but still... They did attack me. They did try to stop me from leaving the castle. That doesn't exactly help my chances any. After I merged with Sora, they only had the Superior left to guide them. I know they did answer my call just before I fought against Sora at the Station of Awakening, but...that doesn't mean they'll listen to me now. Maybe they only did it because the Superior wanted to stop Sora from reaching the castle. I know they prevented Donald and Goofy from interfering for me, but...were they really listening to me?_

"Well, Hayner's right about one thing. It would let us know if there are still any Nobodies hanging around, and if we're lucky your Samurai Nobodies might even be able to tell us what happened to Maleficent," Sora said thoughtfully, nodding to himself and resting his chin in his hands. "They were in the castle when Maleficent announced she was going to make it her own."

"But...what if they're no longer loyal to me, since I'm not a member of the Organization anymore? I mean...Xemnas ordered them around more than I did... I don't want to put anyone in danger, and besides...what if they no longer recognize me now that you and I have merged together? Will they even be able to see me?"

"There's only one way to find out," Kairi said simply, before Sora could answer.

Smiling softly at him, Namine wrapped her arms around his neck and she gave him a quick hug. Despite the fact that they were both transparent, he could still feel her golden hair brushing against his cheek, and the warmth of her body, which was nestled against his chest, made his skin tingle in response to her touch. It felt the way Sora would always feel when Kairi would take the Keyblade Master in her arms, and even though everyone was watching him, including Kairi and Sora, who unbeknown to each other were looking far too pleased with themselves, Roxas couldn't help himself from turning a deep shade of red. "Namine..."

"Don't worry, Roxas. I'm sure your Nobodies will still recognize you. Everybody else can see us so there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to sense your presence. How could they not still be loyal to you? You were the only member of the Organization who didn't have your heart stolen by the Heartless and Axel told me you were the only one who truly treated your Nobodies like they had real feelings, except maybe Demyx. That's one of the reasons why I wanted to meet you so badly. Everything will be fine. I used to find it hard to believe in myself, but not anymore; not now that I'm with Kairi. Hasn't Sora made you feel the same way?"

"Well yeah, but..."

"Don't give up on yourself before you've even tried, Roxas."

"But-"

Without warning, Riku summoned Way to the Dawn, and Roxas jumped in surprise when the Keyblade suddenly came to a stop just inches away from poking him in the chest. Sora, who already had Oblivion in his hand, followed the older boy's example, and before Roxas could even make sense of what was going on, he found himself gazing at the shiny tips of two Keyblades instead of just one.

"If they don't listen to you, we'll just take them out like we always do," Sora said cheerfully.

"If they attack us, we'll attack them," Riku smirked.

Smiling slightly, Roxas shook his head at their antics, but he finally relented. "Fine, I'll see what I can do, but not here. We're too close to the street. Someone might see us."

"Gawrsh, you're right, Roxas. If the people of Twilight Town saw the Nobodies again, they might start to panic," Goofy said solemnly.

"Luckily it was really only Seifer's group who saw them last time, but that doesn't mean our luck will hold out. Let's move back further."

"Why don't we go to the forest?" Olette suggested, nodding her head towards what Roxas knew was a small opening carved into a concrete wall on the opposite side of the Tram Common, though he couldn't actually see the wall from his position near the moogle shop. It stood next to where the street began to dip beneath the tracks, creating an overpass above the road leading to the Sandlot, and normally the area was fairly deserted, probably due to the fact that it looked like the kind of place no sane person would ever visit all on their own. Dark and shadowy, as far as Roxas knew, it was the only way to reach both the forest and the Old Mansion, and since many of the people who lived in Twilight Town secretly believed the Old Mansion was haunted, whether they would admit it or not, normally none of the residents usually dared to venture too close, the exception being Seifer and his gang.

_And Hayner, who always drags Pence and Olette here with him, although Pence is known to wander here all by himself, too. Pence always been interested in the Old Mansion, and judging from some of the things he said earlier and the way he acted when I met him in the real Twilight Town, I think it's pretty safe to say even his real self is fascinated by that place!_

"Perfect!" Hayner cheered, grinning at Olette and flinging his arm around her shoulders. "Since Seifer's hanging out somewhere near the station, for once in his life he won't be a problem. Let's hurry up and get this over with before he decides to show his stupid face around here."

"Good point. Come on, guys," Pence ordered, motioning for them to follow him.

"Hey, what about my ice cream?" Donald complained.

Trying to be as discrete as possible, Roxas quickly followed the others across the Tram Common and into the forest, and glancing anxiously over his shoulder he squinted nervously through the trees closing in behind him, fully expecting to see several Samurai Nobodies weaving in and out of the shadows, their silver bodies gleaming softly in the darkness. His last few trips through the forest in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town hadn't exactly been very pleasant, and dwelling suddenly on those memories now was starting to make him feel very uneasy.

_Memories...Bad or good, it doesn't matter. Even when you try to forget, even when you have your memories forcibly taken away from you, somehow they always come back to remind you of what you've gained and lost..._

Sora must have sensed what he was thinking because the Keyblade Master suddenly put a hand on his shoulder, and to his surprise Sora gave him an encouraging smile. "Are you ready?"

"I...I guess..."

Unlike the rest of Twilight Town, instead of flourishing in the pale light of the sun, the forest was surprisingly dark and the shadows seemed to be calling out to him. As expected, the place was completely deserted, and Roxas couldn't help himself from gazing anxiously in the direction of the mansion. There was no voice this time, no sign of life, and no heart thriving within the mansion calling out to him.

Instead, there was only darkness.

"Roxas?" Namine asked quietly, her bright blue gaze growing dark with concern.

Taking a deep breath, Roxas closed his eyes and he began to concentrate on the faint presence of his Nobodies, their soft whispers calling out to him from the depths of another world. On his left, he felt Sora give his shoulder a quick squeeze, and on his right Hayner gave him an encouraging pat on the back. The others stood around him in a circle, and although he could still feel their closeness as well as he could feel Sora and Hayner, his mind was drifting somewhere between the realms of light and darkness. At first, he got no response, but just as he was about to give up his eyes suddenly snapped open, and almost immediately six Samurai Nobodies rose up out of the ground, appearing so suddenly it was almost as if they had just materialized right out of thin air, and they began to weave excitedly through the trunks of the trees, their sleek bodies making it possible for them to execute breathtaking turns no normal human being could ever perform. They didn't move as fluidly as the Dusks, nor were they quite as graceful, but even so their supple movements were spectacular to watch.

"Look, they're here!" Olette gasped, flinging her arms around Kairi in fear and hiding her face against the other girl's shoulder.

"That is so cool," Hayner commented, nodding his head in approval. "Hey, Roxas, can I practice my moves on them for the next struggle competition?"

"Hayner!" Kairi scolded.

"What? It was just a suggestion!"

"Careful," Donald warned, pointing his staff at the Nobodies. "They're coming this way."

Sora and Riku quickly dropped into their battle ready positions, their Keyblades shining faintly in the darkness, but the Samurai Nobodies paid them absolutely no attention whatsoever.

Instead, the servants who answered to the Key of Destiny moved fluidly towards their master and they came to a stop just inches away from the one known as Number XIII. Still unsure of their loyalty, Roxas quickly held up his hand, and taking the hint, Sora and the others immediately backed away from him, giving both the golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade and his Nobodies some space.

At first, the Nobodies merely studied Roxas in silence, almost as if they were unsure of whether or not he had really called them, and from the odd noises they were making, it sounded almost as if they were debating whether or not he was actually their real master or if he was merely an apparition, a figment of their imaginations. After all, the Dusks had been fooled once before by a bunch of photographs, much to Axel's frustrations, so it wasn't really surprising that they seemed hesitant to approach him.

_I guess I'm just going to have to convince them._

Standing up straight, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper, and without even turning to look at Sora, he caught Oblivion smoothly in his other hand, having already sensed the Keyblade whizzing through the air towards him almost before the Keyblade Master had even thrown it in his direction. Holding both Keyblades tightly in his hands, he lifted his chin and he gazed calmly at his Nobodies, waiting for their reactions. Once before, on a typical rainy evening in The World That Never Was, though truthfully whether or not it had been in the evening was debatable since it was always night in The World That Never Was and it always rained, Roxas had faced off against his Samurai Nobodies with Oathkeeper and Oblivion ready in his hands, only this time he wore no coat, and the intense look on his face was visible to all those watching in the forest.

_I am me, and I am Sora. Can you feel it?_

Apparently his lesser Nobodies must have come to some sort of a decision because the Samurai Nobody who stood just slightly in front of the others suddenly leaned towards him and it humbly bowed its head in acknowledgment. _"You called, my liege?"_

Roxas heard the voice in his head and it startled him so badly he nearly dropped Oathkeeper on his foot. It had been a long time since he had last had an opportunity to converse with his Nobodies, and since Sora's voice was the only voice he had been able to hear recently in his mind, the sound of what had become a foreign entity in his head came as quite a bit of a shock. And yet, despite almost injuring his foot, he had sense enough to speak out loud for the sake of his friends. "Yes, I did. Where have you been all this time?"

_"The World That Never Was. We've been waiting for your return, my liege."_

"My return?"

_"Yes."_

Letting out a deep sigh, Roxas turned his face away and he stabbed Oblivion into the earth, his sapphire eyes narrowing into angry slits. "I won't be returning. I'm never going back there. Ever. The Organization is dead."

_"You misunderstand me, my liege. We do not wait for your return to the Organization. We wait for your return to us."_

"Huh?"

Roxas felt his mouth drop open, and jerking his head around in surprise, he stared at the Samurai Nobody he normally placed in charge of all the others, uncertain of whether or not he had heard his former servant correctly. "You were waiting for me, not the Organization?"

The Samurai Nobody once again bowed its head in acknowledgment and it quickly weaved around him in a circle before returning to its place in front of the other Nobodies. _"You are the one we answer to."_

"Then...you are still loyal to me? Even though...even though I wasn't...you know...always there? Even though Xemnas acted more like your master than I did?"

In perfect unison all six Nobodies whispered in his head, _"We are at your command, master."_

"Well? What are they saying?" Donald asked curiously, frowning suspiciously at the Nobodies.

Roxas was about to answer, but before he could open his mouth, his most competent Nobody, the one whom he had chosen to lead all the others during those moments when he could not be present, which had been often, and who generally spoke for the other Samurai Nobodies, suddenly pressed close to him again and it tilted its head to the side, studying him curiously. _"You seem...different, my liege."_

_Huh?_

Roxas stared at the leader of his Samurai Nobodies in surprise, and shaking his head in confusion, he pulled Oblivion free from the earth. "What do you mean? Is it because I'm transparent?"

_"No, my liege. It's your heart."_

"What? My...heart?"

_"You are no longer half of who you used to be. You are whole."_

"How...how did you..."

_"We can sense it. The other side of your heart has been returned to you. You no longer carry only half of your heart. Though you are still one of us, it seems you have passed beyond the realm of the Nobodies."_

"Wait, I don't understand. Are...are you saying I had a heart even when I was with the Organization?"

_"You are not like us, my liege. Your heart has never forsaken you."_

"Huh? What kind of an answer is that?"

_"It has a strong pull. One that cannot be ignored."_

"What?"

Without warning, all six of his Samurai Nobodies suddenly glided past him, and weaving excitedly through the air in dizzy circles, creating breathtaking patterns of intricate design in the darkness that resembled the patterns within a kaleidoscope, they came to a stop in front of Sora, their sleek silver bodies standing just inches away from the Keyblade Master.

"Watch out, Sora!" Donald shouted, lifting his staff and pointing it at the Samurai Nobodies.

Letting out a gasp of surprise, Roxas quickly grabbed Donald's arm before the court wizard could launch a fire spell at all six of his Samurai Nobodies, and turning sharply, he thrust Oblivion right into Goofy's path, trying desperately to stop the captain of the king's royal guards from attempting to reach Sora. "No, wait! Don't attack them!"

"Why not?" Donald cried indignantly, trying unsuccessfully to pull his arm free and glaring at the Nobodies.

"You don't want to scare them off, do you? Besides, Sora's fine. They won't hurt him."

"Gawrsh, Roxas, are you sure?" Goofy asked hesitantly.

Nodding his head firmly in response, Roxas turned to gaze curiously at his other half, and he blinked in surprise when all six of his Samurai Nobodies suddenly started to prance ecstatically around the Keyblade Master in a circle, their strange dance making it look almost as if they were performing some sort of sacred ritual. One of the Nobodies actually went so far as to extend its arm towards Sora, and almost shyly it touched the Keyblade Master's shoulder before weaving its way back into the circle again.

_What in the name of Kingdom Hearts are they doing?_

Feeling rather embarrassed, Roxas glared at his Nobodies, but none of them bothered to pay any attention to him. They were obviously excited about something, but what exactly had triggered their silent dance, he did not know, though he suspected their behaviour had something to do with Sora's presence. Surprisingly enough, Sora himself did not look the least bit nervous or uneasy, nor had he summoned a weapon to defend himself with, which he could have done quite easily under the circumstances and no one would have blamed him for it. Even with Oblivion in use he still had plenty of other Keyblades to choose from, but instead of attacking the Nobodies, the Keyblade Master merely studied them with interest, his bright blue eyes following their progress as they continued to march around him in a tight circle.

_Could it be?_

"They look so creepy in the darkness," Olette whispered, hugging herself and moving closer to Riku for comfort.

Dismissing his Keyblade, Riku crossed his arms and he frowned at the Nobodies, his expression unreadable. "I guess this answers our question about whether or not there are still any Nobodies around."

"What are they doing?" Sora asked curiously, turning in the opposite direction of the Nobodies and poking the one that had just passed his left shoulder, the tip of his finger connecting with its stomach. Shivering in response to the Keyblade Master's touch, the Nobody quickly squirmed away, an odd noise escaping from its throat. Almost immediately the other Nobodies responded with strange sounds of their own, and as far as Roxas could tell their reactions appeared to have satisfied the Nobody whom Sora had poked because it once again rejoined the circle.

"Maybe they're planning to use you as a sacrifice," Hayner joked. "If they offer you up to Kingdom Hearts, maybe they'll have their own hearts returned to them."

"Somehow I doubt it," Kairi laughed.

_Sora's heart..._

It was true the Samurai Nobodies seemed unusually interested in Sora, and studying their enthusiastic response to the Keyblade Master's presence, all of a sudden Roxas understood why they were so excited. "Uh, Sora..."

"What is it?" Sora asked cheerfully, turning to look at him.

"My Samurai Nobodies. They...they're attracted to your heart."

"_Our _heart," Sora corrected, giving him a warm smile. "So...that's why they've been acting so strange. I guess they're excited to feel the presence of so many strong hearts gathered together in one area, but...Nobodies are always looking for their own hearts, right?"

"But some of them are so desperate they'll settle for any heart. At least, that's what you guys told us earlier," Pence said slowly, frowning anxiously at the Nobodies before turning to look at Sora. "Does that mean, like you just said, they're attracted to all our hearts?"

"Even if they are that doesn't explain why they seem especially interested in Sora," Kairi said thoughtfully.

Taking a step closer to the lesser Nobodies, Namine took the hand of the one who happened to pass by her just at that moment, and jerking to a stop, it turned to gaze silently at her, its silver body quivering in response to her touch. "Yes, they're attracted to all the hearts that live in all the worlds, though the connection isn't as strong, nor does it feel the same as if they were to sense their own hearts. How they feel towards hearts that aren't their own is a lot like the Heartless, only it's much more personal. Like Sora said, they're especially attracted to people who have strong hearts, which would include everyone in this forest, so it's only natural that they would be excited to come here. Since their own hearts were taken by the Heartless, to make up for their loss, they like to bask in the warm glow of all the other hearts that are still free from the darkness, but...I don't think that's the only reason they're attracted to Sora's heart. I think, in his case, what they feel is a little bit more...special."

"What do you mean?" Olette asked nervously, gazing uncertainly at the Nobodies.

Shaking his head in amusement, Roxas dismissed both Keyblades he held and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Weren't you listening to Namine? They're not going to try and steal your heart, if that's what you're worried about. They don't work the same way as the Heartless. As for Sora, they're acting like that because...well...because of me."

"Roxas is their leader, and since Roxas and Sora are one and the same, it's only natural that they would feel a deep connection to Sora," Riku explained.

Weaving gracefully around Namine and the Nobody who still remained in her grip, the leader of the Samurai Nobodies bent its head close to Sora and it whispered, _"We are loyal to our master, the Key of Destiny, which means we are loyal to the one who shares his heart."_

"What?" Sora suddenly gasped, glancing around for the source of what appeared to Roxas to be a voice within the Keyblade Master's head before his bright blue eyes finally settled on the Nobody swaying in front of him.

Roxas felt his mouth drop open in surprise, and hurrying over to the small group of Nobodies he quickly pushed between the two standing closest to Namine, anxious to reach his other half. Grabbing onto Sora's right arm, he stared at the Keyblade Master in astonishment. "Sora, you...you can hear them?"

"No. Wait, you mean...it really spoke to me?"

"It's official, our Keyblade Master has finally gone crazy," Donald muttered to himself.

Ignoring the court wizard, Roxas nodded at his other half and Sora stared at him in astonishment. "But...I've never been able to hear them before. Why, after all this time, would they suddenly decide to talk to me now? Even when they were just talking to you less than a minute ago I couldn't hear them. I don't get it."

_Good question._

Roxas turned to the leader of his Samurai Nobodies and he gave it a stern look. "You're loyal to me and to Sora? If that's true then why did you never speak to him after the two of us merged together?"

_"You would not answer to either him or us. We could still feel you, but except for that time when you contacted us in The World That Never Was, the day you fought the other side of your heart, you refused to lead us. You are our link to the Keyblade Master. If you refuse to communicate with him then we cannot communicate with him either. Since you're a Nobody like us, the bond we share with you is still stronger than the bond we share with the Keybade Master. Even now that is still the case, though you are no longer truly one of us."_

"Are you saying I'm not a Nobody anymore?_"_

_"You are whole again, which means you are no longer one of us, but...it is of no importance. You are still our master. Because our bond with you is strong, you can hear us all the time, but the Keyblade Master can only hear us if we speak directly to him."_

"Oh, I get it. So, the only reason you can communicate with Sora is because of me?"

_"Yes, my liege."_

"What are they saying?" Sora interrupted. "And why can't I hear them anymore?"

Roxas quickly explained the situation to Sora and the others, and scratching the back of his head in confusion, Pence gave the Samurai Nobodies a thoughtful look. "So...Sora's kind of a fluke, right? The Samurai Nobodies can communicate with Roxas because he's one of them and they're willing to follow him because he's one of the most powerful Nobodies, if not _the_ most powerful Nobody, that has ever existed."

"And because of his heart," Namine said quietly. "But with Sora it's only because he was lucky enough to escape the Heartless, and because of that he changed the rules, which caused the normal fate between Nobodies and their original selves to shift out of balance. Technically, for Roxas to even be here with us, Sora shouldn't exist. He should actually be a Heartless."

"That's right," Kairi murmured, nodding her head in agreement. "Sora's heart should have been taken by the Heartless in Maleficent's castle, but because that didn't happen, Sora and Roxas have been able to co-exist in a way that no other Nobodies and their original selves have been able to do before."

"Just like us," Namine said shyly.

Kairi put her arm around Namine and she beamed at the golden-haired Nobody. "Just like us."

"That's the first time someone has told me I'm the one who shouldn't exist!" Sora laughed, shaking his head. "Though...it does explain why the Samurai Nobodies can communicate with me. It's because Roxas and I are the same person. If they can communicate with Roxas, then it only makes sense they would be able to communicate with me, too. The only reason the other Nobodies have never been able to do the same thing is because unlike Roxas, all the other members of the Organization lost their hearts to the darkness. They never had a chance to meet their original selves."

"And as a result their lesser Nobodies never had a chance to meet their originals," Pence finished. "Sora may not be a Nobody himself, but to the Samurai Nobodies he's still Roxas, or at least a part of Roxas, and because of his bond with Roxas, he has inadvertently bonded himself to the Samurai Nobodies as well."

"But...if that's true then why did they still attack me all the time?" Sora asked hesitantly, gazing uncertainly at the Samurai Nobodies.

Their leader, who was hovering next to Sora's right shoulder, suddenly lifted its head and it pointed towards the Old Mansion. _"We had no choice. Our master had left us, and even when he became whole again, he would not guide us. Without him, we had no choice but to follow the Superior's orders."_

"Which is why you didn't attempt to stop Axel from using the Dusks to find Roxas in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town," Sora said quietly. "Xemnas is the reason why you attacked me even though Roxas and I had merged together."

"_The Superior is gone now and our master has returned. We will do our duty and fulfill his commands."_

"I guess, in that case, we don't have anything to worry about?"

"What do you mean we don't have anything to worry about?" Olette asked, frowning in confusion. "What exactly are the Nobodies saying?"

Sora turned to the female resident of Twilight Town and he gave her a brilliant smile. "I don't think we're going to have to worry about the Nobodies too much, at least not the Samurai Nobodies. They're definitely still loyal to Roxas."

"Are you sure?" Pence asked hesitantly.

"They say they're loyal to Roxas and I believe them. You believe them, too, don't you, Roxas?" Hayner asked confidently.

Roxas glanced at the Nobodies surrounding both himself and Sora, studying them closely, and turning back to Hayner he gave the blond struggler a quick smile and a firm nod. "They won't betray me. In fact, I get the feeling I might not be the only person they'll listen to anymore."

_Take that, _Lord _Xemnas._

"You mean Sora?" Kairi asked curiously, gazing thoughtfully at the Nobodies.

"Yeah, they do seem pretty interested in him, if that counts for anything."

"Only because of you," Sora countered.

"Roxas, your Samurai Nobodies have been in The Word That Never Was all this time, right?" Namine asked quietly, her bright blue eyes studying his face. "Why don't you ask them about Maleficent? They might know what happened to her."

Blinking in surprise, Roxas scratched the back of his blond head and he gave the golden-haired Nobody a sheepish grin. "I hadn't even thought of that. I guess I could give it a try."

"Well, go for it then. What are you waiting for?" Hayner said impatiently, jerking his thumb at the Nobody standing closest to him.

Rolling his eyes, Roxas crossed his arms over his chest and he frowned thoughtfully at the leader of his six Samurai Nobodies. "Have you seen Maleficent in The World That Never Was? Did she somehow manage to take over the castle or..."

_"We have not been back to the castle since the Superior was defeated. Even the other lesser Nobodies won't go near the castle, though they are few in number since their masters were defeated. That includes the Dusks. They also won't go near the castle. All is quiet in The World That Never Was. If the witch lives, we have not seen her. The castle remains dark and silent."_

"Well, what did they say?" Donald demanded.

Unable to hide his disappointment, Roxas made a face and he shrugged his shoulders. "If Maleficent is in The World That Never Was they haven't seen her."

"Gawrsh, you mean she hasn't taken over the castle?" Goofy asked hesitantly.

"They don't know. They haven't been back to the castle since Sora and Riku took out the Superior. Even the other lesser Nobodies haven't been back there. Apparently the Nobodies belonging to the other members of the Organization still exist, as do the Dusks, though they are few in number. With no one left to guide them, I assume they've been wandering aimlessly in The World That Never Was. My Samurai Nobodies say the castle is quiet, but...that could mean anything."

"Or nothing at all," Kairi groaned, shaking her head. "Which means we really are back to square one."

"She could be gone, but she could also just be waiting to plan her next move," Namine said quietly.

"Either way we're not going to get any answers right now, but if she is still around we'll know soon enough," Riku said shortly, his aqua eyes narrowing into a deep frown. "She might have helped Sora out once before, but that doesn't mean the same thing will happen again."

"Whatever happens, we'll be ready for it," Hayner boasted, clenching his right hand into a fist.

"Hey, Roxas, what about the Nobodies belonging to the other members of the Organization? They won't be a problem, will they?" Sora asked hesitantly.

Roxas glanced at his Nobodies, and frowning at them he said, "What do you guys think?"

_"They are quiet," _the leader of his Nobodies whispered softly in his head. _"We do not think they will leave The World That Never Was again unless provoked. Like us, they are still waiting for their masters to return to them. Until that happens, they will not move one way or the other."_

"But...their masters are gone. Axel and the others will never come back..."

_"We shall see."_

"Huh?"

"What's wrong, Roxas?" Sora asked curiously, looking a little bit concerned.

_"Be careful, my liege. If another like the Superior reveals himself, even without their masters they could still be a threat," _the leader of his Samurai Nobodies warned, his words deaf to Sora's ears. _"As for the Dusks, we don't think they will be a problem, at least for the moment. In fact, we believe many of them will be inclined to take orders from you since you are the only member of the Organization left whom they can take orders from. But...that could change_. _All it takes is someone like the Superior to once again seize power and control over The World That Never Was..."_

Blinking in surprise, Roxas glanced at his other half and blushing slightly, he mumbled, "It's nothing. My Samurai Nobodies say they don't think the other lesser Nobodies will be a problem."

"Well, either way, like Riku said, we'll find out soon enough," Hayner snorted, "but first I think it's time to eat!"

"Now you're talking!" Donald cheered, beaming at the blond struggler.

"Are you ready to go, Roxas?" Sora asked cheerfully, nudging him in the side to get his attention.

Roxas nodded, but just as he was ready to leave, the leader of his Nobodies suddenly weaved in front of him, blocking his path. _"What would you have us do, my liege?"_

_Even now they still wait for my orders..._

Smiling, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and he pointed it at the Nobody. "Wait for me in The World That Never Was and watch for anything unusual. I will call you when I need you."

_"Yes, my liege."_

The Nobodies quickly backed away from Sora, weaving once more around the Keyblade Master as they passed, but before they could disappear, Roxas held out his Keyblade to block their path. Gazing at each of his six Nobodies in turn he said quietly in his head, _"All I ask is that you protect my friends. These people standing with me are my heart, and I will disappear before I ever let them get hurt. Tell all the other Samurai Nobodies who are waiting for me in The World That Never Was, as well. And tell the Dusks if you can. Those are my only orders."_

As one, all six Samurai Nobodies bowed their heads, and the leader of the group suddenly leaned towards him, coming so close that their foreheads were almost touching. _"We will do what you ask, my liege."_

_"Watch out for Sora especially. He has a knack for getting into trouble. A lot of trouble. I already lost him once. I don't want to go through that again."_

_"As you wish, my liege."_

With one final collective bow, the six Nobodies disappeared, and Roxas turned to find Namine and the others watching him curiously.

"What did you say to them?" Sora asked nonchalantly, yet despite his neutral tone his sapphire eyes had lighted up with interest.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Roxas merely shrugged his shoulders, and grabbing onto Sora's arm he quickly pulled the Keyblade Master towards the entrance to the Tram Common. "Nothing special."

"But-"

"Less talking, more eating!" Donald scolded, glaring at the Keyblade Master. "I've waited long enough for my ice cream!"

Walking next to Namine and dragging Sora along behind him, Roxas quickly made his way towards the edge of the forest, hungry for some ice cream of his own. He knew Sora would figure out what he had planned for his Samurai Nobodies eventually, but for the moment it was something he wanted to keep to himself.

_Sora might not think he needs the help, but I know him better than that. His bad habit of putting himself in danger is the reason I exist to begin with!_

Shaking his head and smiling softly to himself, Roxas turned to look over his shoulder, his gaze coming to rest on the entrance to the Old Mansion. The path looked dark and lonely, and for some unexplained reason, Roxas suddenly felt a shiver race down his spine. Frowning slightly, he studied the forest surrounding the mansion, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary he let his mind wander back to the tangy taste of sea-salt ice cream. Another smile slipped across his face, but just as he was about to turn his head again, he thought he saw a shadow pass between the trees on the left side of the entrance to the mansion.

_What was that?_

Jerking around in surprise, Roxas stared hard at the spot where he had seen the shadow, but there was nothing there.

"Roxas, hey, are you okay?" Sora suddenly murmured in his ear, picking up instantly on his sudden uneasiness.

"Is there something wrong?" Namine asked quietly, concern in her voice.

_I must be imagining things. It's just old fears coming back from those days before I merged with Sora, and why not? This place brings back some pretty painful memories. It's no wonder my mind is playing tricks on me._

"Roxas?" Sora whispered in his ear, tugging anxiously on his arm. "Roxas!"

"It's nothing. Come on, let's go."

Without waiting for an answer, Roxas quickly turned his back on the forest and he headed towards the entrance to the Tram Common, leaving Sora and the others hurrying to catch up with him.


	3. Whispers From the Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, etc.

**A/N: Back with another chapter! Again, the lines in this story during those moments of remembrance are all taken from the original Gameboy Advance version of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_, _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Kingdom Hearts II. _And if you haven't played it already I highly recommend you play _Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories _for the PlayStation 2. (Awesome game, I loved it!) You will notice that some of the lines are worded slightly different in that game compared to the original. Just to keep that in mind. If you are currently playing the PS2 version, or have only played it in the past, I think you will find the differences between the two to be quite interesting. That has most definitely been the case with me! (And yes, for those of you who are wondering, almost all of the original voice cast did return for _Kingdom Hearts Re: Chain of Memories_ like they did for _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days._)The only two major characters whose voice actors didn't make a return appearance were Kairi and Namine, both of whom had new voice actors for this game. But of course, the most important thing is the fact that Axel was still most definitely Axel in all his flaming glory! (Gotta love that pyro!) A quick reminder, once I'm done with this story, I'll be updating its sequel _Sunset Dreams _again.  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

Chapter 3: Whispers from the Heart

_Roxas_

_Tram Common, Market Street_

"Look, guys! Am I amazing, or what?" Hayner said smugly, coming suddenly towards the group sitting around the entrance to the forest with Olette, several bars of sea-salt ice cream threatening to spill out of his hands.

Olette was holding several bars, as well, and there was a big smile on her face. "Sorry about the wait. There was a huge line-up, and Hayner was complaining as usual."

"What do you expect? I don't see why I had to pay for all the ice cream," the blond struggler grumbled. "It's not like you don't have any munny on you, and besides, I hate line-ups."

"I'm saving my munny for a shopping trip! If you hadn't bought the ice cream you would have just ended up spending your munny on something useless and you know it!"

"But...why couldn't you have at least made Pence split the cost with me?"

Pence, who had stayed behind, suddenly looked up and he shook his head at the blond struggler. "You've wasted enough of my munny already!"

Shaking his head in amusement, Roxas snatched a bar of ice cream from Hayner's hands and making his way over to Sora's side he sat down on an overturned crate next to the Keyblade Master. He wasn't quite sure where the crates had come from, since they had certainly never been there before when he had visited the forest many times in the past, but from what he could tell, it looked as if somebody had stacked them there for the time being, obviously intending to come and get them later when they were needed. He wasn't complaining, though, since the stacks of crates blocked the entrance to the forest from the view of anyone walking past on the road or following the tracks. He'd noticed them earlier when they had gone into the forest to summon his Samurai Nobodies, but at the time he had been so anxious about whether or not his Nobodies would answer his call, he had failed to comment on the crates, since they hadn't seemed important at the time. Both him and Sora were sitting on the left hand side of the entrance to the forest, and remembering the shadow he was still not quite sure he had really seen earlier, a slight shiver raced down his spine.

_It was just my imagination! It wasn't real..._

"Eat up, guys!" Olette said cheerfully, snatching the rest of the ice cream from Hayner and passing it out to everyone in the group.

Taking a bite of the electric blue treat in his hand, Roxas savored the tangy, yet sweet, taste of the ice cream melting in his mouth, still unable to believe he could enjoy something so simple as the flavour of an ice cream bar. Technically, he shouldn't have been able to taste anything at all, since he existed merely as a transparent figure of his former self, but despite all sense of logic and reason he could not only taste the ice cream, he could also eat it, as well, and although he had discovered his ability to ingest solid foods shortly after appearing to Sora in The World That Never Was, not that long after they returned to Destiny Islands, in fact, it still continued to come as a huge surprise to him. It should have been impossible, and yet here he was eating a bar of sea-salt ice cream.

_Could it be that I'm actually more real than even Sora believes I am?_

"Roxas? Hey, you've been really quiet lately. I mean, more so than usual. What's up?" Sora suddenly asked, interrupting his thoughts.

_That shadow..._

_**"To hold something dear is to let it hold you..."**  
_

Frowning at the half-eaten bar of ice cream in his hand, Roxas shrugged his shoulders, and turning to look at the Keyblade Master he quickly plastered what he hoped was a convincing smile on his face. "You worry too much, you know that? It's nothing really."

"Then stop giving me reasons to worry."

The words were so quiet, Roxas just barely heard them, but seeing as how Sora was his other half, he didn't really need to understand what the other had said in order to know that the Keyblade Master was concerned about him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't...it's not..."

"Don't worry about it," Sora interrupted, shaking his head.

"But..."

Smiling slightly and pointing to the half-eaten bar of ice cream Roxas was still holding in his hand the Keyblade Master said, "Hey, are you going to finish that?"

"What?" Donald suddenly quacked, glancing around Sora's shoulder at the ice cream bar in question.

_Why do I have a feeling I know what's coming next?_

Ever since finishing his own ice cream bar earlier, the court wizard, who was sitting on Sora's other side, had been gazing forlornly at the empty stick in his hands, but at the Keyblade Master's sudden outburst, not surprisingly his eyes lit up with a gleam of excitement. "I don't know, Sora, I think it might be a better idea if Roxas gives his unfinished ice cream to me, just to be safe. His germs are crawling all over that thing, and I wouldn't want you to catch something from him. We can't have the Keyblade Master getting sick!"

Scratching the back of his head in confusion, Sora blinked at Donald in surprise, and frowning he said slowly, "Uh...Donald, when you really think about it they're my germs, too. I mean, Roxas _is _me and I'm him. How am I supposed to catch germs from myself?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry! What if the Heartless started attacking all the worlds again and you were too sick to fight them? As your friend, it's my duty to look out for you, right? It's better if I get sick instead of you, so...if you'd like I could eat Roxas' ice cream for you."

"Yeah right! You just want to trick me into giving you more ice cream!"

"No way! I'm just looking out for your best interests!"

"No, you're not! The only thing you're looking out for is your stomach!"

"But-"

"Come on, Roxas, we can't let good ice cream go to waste!" Sora interrupted, completely ignoring Donald. "If you're not going to finish it, I'll eat it for you."

Rolling his eyes, Roxas handed over his half eaten bar of ice cream to Sora, and smiling slightly he said, "You're as bad as Donald. A bottomless pit."

Instead of responding, Sora merely shrugged his shoulders and he took a huge bite of the ice cream bar in his hand, much to Donald's outrage.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you!" the court wizard shouted in disgust.

"Don't be dumb, Donald. I'm not going to catch anything from my own Nobody!"

"How do you know?"

Leaving Sora and Donald to argue over whether or not he was contagious, Roxas moved over to sit next to Namine, and settling himself on an overturned crate next to the golden-haired Nobody, he gave her a warm smile. "Hey, Namine."

"Oh! Hello, Roxas," Namine said shyly, almost dropping her own bar of ice cream at his approach.

"Sorry. Did I startle you?"

"No, I..."

_Should I tell her how I feel? I did promise Sora I would, but it's not like he's said anything to Kairi yet either. Speaking of Kairi..._

Roxas glanced uncertainly at the red-haired female sitting on Namine's other side, anxious to know whether or not she was listening in on their conversation, but to his relief Kairi was too busy talking to Olette to notice what her Nobody was up to at the moment. "Hey, Namine? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it, Roxas?"

"How was Sora able to remember what had happened to him in Castle Oblivion? You were the one who said it would be impossible for him to remember..."

"Sora's memories...they're really becoming a part of you."

"Yes, isn't the same thing happening to both you and Kairi?"

"Of course, only...there are still some things she doesn't know. Even my memory isn't the best...There are some things...even I don't know. I remember some, but...not everything. Not the really important things. Not the things about the person who _mattered. _The one who I think changed...everything. The one who...maybe that's why you and Sora are here with us now. I don't know. It's all still coming back to me. Slowly...But what I do know, the things I do remember about...about before the fall of the Organization, I haven't...it's so hard to hide. I won't be able to forever..."

"What's wrong, Namine?"

_**"Hey, I'm not about to tell you **_**all _my dark secrets. Got it memorized? I bet you keep a thing or two from me..."_**

Namine bit her lip, and shaking her head she quickly forced a smile onto her face. "It's nothing. Roxas, if you remember that much then you'll remember what I said to Sora just before he stepped into the pod to go to sleep."

"You mean..."

"Remembering one thing leads to remembering another and then another..." Namine quoted softly. "Your memories are connected, like links in a chain. Those same chains are what anchor us all together. I don't destroy memories. I just take the links and rearrange them. You still have your memories."

_Her words to Sora. I do remember them..._

"Just because you can't remember something doesn't mean it's gone," Namine whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Just like his real memories, I don't think Sora ever forgot his memories of Castle Oblivion. They've been inside his heart this whole time. All it took was someone to trigger those memories. That person was me. When you and I appeared to Kairi and Sora in The World That Never Was, Sora and I finally got a chance to see each other again. I think seeing my face again allowed Sora to remember Castle Oblivion, just like Axel meeting Sora triggered _your_ presence. Once Sora and I were together again, once Sora and Kairi were together again, he remembered everything. After all, we made a promise to each other..."

_**"Don't worry, you'll forget me...but we have our promise, so I can come back to you."**_

_**"A promise is a promise."**_

_**"One day it'll be our light, the light that brings us together. I'll be in your heart until that time comes."**_

_**"I know. Forgotten, but not lost..."**_

"Roxas, you and Kairi were _our _light," Namine said softly. "You two will _always_ be our light."

Overcome with emotion, Roxas reached out to the female Nobody, and taking her hand he gave it a gentle squeeze. "Namine...thank you."

_Namine...This is why Sora cares about Kairi so much. This is why I care about _you_ so much..._

"But...Roxas, I didn't do anything."

"Of course you did. You know so much, Namine, and because of that I envy you sometimes."

To his surprise, instead of smiling, Namine turned to look at Riku and an almost imperceptible shadow suddenly slipped across her face. "Not as much as you might think. I know some things; things I wish I didn't know. Things you still don't remember...Things even I don't remember yet..."

_What is that supposed to mean? Now that I'm with Sora, I remember everything about my past...don't I?_

_**"It's a struggle just to remember the name now, isn't it?"**  
_

"It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to hide so much from Kairi," Namine said quietly, almost to herself. "I can't keep this up forever. I'm her Nobody. Sooner or later she's going to find out..."

"Namine?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Roxas, don't mind me. You know...you should take him there."

"Huh?"

"Sora," Namine said softly, squeezing his hand in return. "You should take him to the clock tower. He needs to see the place where you used to sit with Axel for himself."

_But...was it always just Axel and myself, or had there been someone else there, too? Wait, where did that come from?_

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Roxas glanced anxiously over his shoulder, and gazing at the Keyblade Master he nodded slowly in agreement. "You're right, but...what about Seifer? The last we saw of him he was heading towards Central Station. If we accidentally run into him, there could be trouble. Not that I would mind, I still want to get him back for what he said about Hayner and Sora, but...if there_ is_ trouble..."

"There might be, but you're a 'ghost', remember?" Namine reminded him, a small smile slipping across her face. "If you have to, use that to your advantage."

_She's starting to sound like Hayner. Maybe introducing the two of them was a bad idea..._

Smiling slightly, Roxas quickly made his way over to Sora's side, and tugging firmly on the Keyblade Master's arm he said, "Come on, Sora."

"Huh? Where are we going?" the Keyblade Master asked curiously, looking up in surprise.

"There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?"

Roxas smiled, and shrugging his shoulders he quickly pulled the Keyblade Master to his feet. "You'll see. Let's go."

"When you guys are done, meet us back at the usual spot," Hayner ordered, munching happily on what was left of his ice cream bar. "We'll wait for you there."

After exchanging a few quick words with the rest of the gang, Roxas led Sora back out into the main section of the Tram Common, and together the two of them cautiously made their way towards Station Heights, taking extra care to remain inconspicuous. Not surprisingly, seeing as how the other residents of Twilight Town were too busy shopping to notice anything out of the ordinary, they were able to reach their destination quite easily, and sneaking their way through Station Heights they made it to Central Station without incident.

"Do you see Seifer anywhere?" Sora asked anxiously, glancing quickly towards the glass doors leading into the station itself.

Since the station plaza appeared to be deserted, Setzer having obviously left earlier with his fan club, Roxas felt sure it was safe to say the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee was also no longer hanging around the station.

"Forget about Seifer, he probably went to Sunset Terrace. Come on, this way."

Pulling on Sora's arm, Roxas dragged the Keyblade Master through the glass doors and into the station itself, and feeling slightly uneasy, he glanced suspiciously over his shoulder at the open doors behind him, his sapphire eyes searching the deserted plaza for any signs of life. When he had been a member of the Organization, reaching the top of the clock tower had merely been a matter of summoning a portal, and although he, like Namine, still had the ability to summon portals, the thought of doing so made him feel slightly sick to his stomach. With the exception of the times he had spent with Axel, the portals reminded him too much of the uncertainty and doubt he had experienced during his time spent with the Organization, which was why he had unconsciously decided to show the Keyblade Master Hayner's way of climbing the tower instead. Not even Seifer knew there was a way to reach the top of the tower and Roxas wanted to keep it that way. There was a trick to it, which involved having to enter the station to reach the spot for climbing, and the explanation behind the mystery of the clock tower was a secret Roxas shared only with Hayner, Pence, Olette, and now Sora. Other than the Keyblade Master and the Twilight Town gang, the only other people he would even consider revealing his secret to would be Kairi, Riku, Namine, and the rest of his new friends, since he knew he could trust them, which meant he had to be careful climbing the tower when there were other people hanging around inside the station. And then there was Axel. He would have told Axel, but unfortunately Axel was long gone...

_I wonder if the ability to make portals is something all Nobodies can do. All the members of the Organization were able to make portals, and both Namine and I can summon them if necessary. Even the lesser Nobodies have their own form of teleportation. They, too, can disappear and reappear at will..._

"Station Tower," Sora suddenly murmured, smiling softly to himself. "You wanted to show me your favorite spot in Twilight Town. It's just like my favorite spot back home on Destiny Islands; the island where I spend all my time with Kairi and Riku...It's just as special to me as this place is to you."

Smiling at the Keyblade Master, Roxas quickly motioned for his other half to follow him and together they made their way towards the back of the station, the gloom of the dim lights overhead keeping them hidden nicely from view.

It was a short climb, and standing close together at the front of the tower high above the plaza, the large hands of the clock tower ticking pleasantly high above them, Roxas waved his hand over the view of Station Heights and beyond. "So, what do you think?"

Gazing in awe at the view, Sora said softly, "It's perfect."


	4. Elusive Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, etc.

**A/N: And back with another chapter! Just the usual reminder, the lines in this story are taken from the original version of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, _and from _Kingdom Hearts II. _I'm now getting to the point in the story where you will start to see a lot of the bigger changes, which you guys began to pick up on in the last chapter, so I'm going to make sure I do my best to make this all fit with _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _as much as possible. Most of the changes will be big, but subtle, which I don't think I need to explain because I know you guys will pick up on what I mean. Enjoy!  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

Chapter 4: Elusive Memories

_Roxas_

_Station Tower, Station Plaza_

Sitting quietly next to Sora on the very edge of the clock tower overlooking the plaza down below, Roxas smiled softly to himself, the memories of a certain red-haired Nobody flashing brilliantly through his mind, memories that were so vivid he was likely never to forget them.

At least, not this time.

Leaning back on his hands, he let the warm rays of the twilit sun wash over him, and despite the sometimes painful memories flickering like a slide show of old photographs inside his head, like his state of mind earlier on Sunset Hill, he felt strangely at peace with himself. His visits to the station tower were something he had truly missed after merging with Sora, but now that he was back in Twilight Town, he no longer had any regrets. To him, the clock tower was not a place that belonged in the past, nor was it a sanctuary where he could wallow in misery and sadness. In his heart, it was a shrine dedicated to all of the good memories he had shared with so many of the people who were important to him, some of whom were still around to relive those memories with him.

_Like Hayner, Pence, and Olette. It's funny, but sitting up here with Sora is something I never thought would be possible. I wonder...if Axel were here, what would he think if he could see me now? I bet he'd be proud of me. How did I get to be so lucky?_

The station tower was a place where he could be happy, but more importantly it was also a place for new beginnings, which was why it was the one spot in Twilight Town he had wanted to show Sora most of all. What better way was there to heal than by allowing his past and present to come together through Sora? Sharing both phases of his life with the Keyblade Master made him feel like they were truly connected. It was a wonderful feeling, which was something he had not expected, and as a result, he felt a closeness to Sora that in the beginning he never thought would ever be possible. When he was with Sora, the Keyblade Master's presence always made him feel like his old life and his new life were part of the same mold.

_Sitting here with Sora, it feels so strange, and yet at the same time it feels so right. It's weird, but when we're together, for some reason thinking about Axel doesn't hurt so much. I guess I really am lucky. I get the feeling Sora truly understands how I feel, not only about Axel, but also the way I feel about my entire past. It's like when the two of us are together, I feel as if there's still hope. I...I feel like maybe Axel isn't really gone forever..._

"You know...Goofy, Donald, and I had that picture of you and your friends with us when we met up with Hayner and the others right outside of the mansion," Sora mumbled suddenly, his bright blue gaze focusing on some place far off in the distance. "We had the truth about your existence with us the whole time, but we never let Hayner and the other two get a close enough glimpse of the photo for them to realize what it was. Maybe if..."

Looking away from the Keyblade Master, Roxas quickly shrugged his shoulders, and wrapping his arms around his knees he said quietly, "When I was in the Organization, Twilight Town was my second home. You heard it right from Hayner, Pence, and Olette, not just from me. I met them in the real Twilight Town, and Pence even met Axel. Later, after I merged with you, even Hayner and Olette got a chance to meet Axel, but...despite the fact that they knew who we were, at least by face, they weren't able to put two and two together when we met up with them earlier today. Pence had thought Axel seemed familiar when he stole Kairi from the usual spot, but even then he wasn't sure. Earlier today, Hayner and the others could barely remember Axel and they couldn't remember me at all. At least not at first. Though they had some fleeting moments of familiarity, like those dreams they talked about and the time when they met you, it was only after they met me again today in the real Twilight Town that they started to really remember the past. Why? It's because we didn't mean anything to them. At the time, we were just another couple of faces in the crowd, two people passing through Twilight Town who weren't worth paying much attention to. When I think about it like that, it's a hard reality to swallow, but...you know what? It doesn't matter. What you did or didn't do doesn't matter. They know me again now, don't they? Sora, you're the one who taught me it's pointless to beat myself up over the past. You might not agree with what I'm about to say, but I think maybe it's time you started listening to your own advice."

"Maybe. Hey, Roxas...can I ask you something?"

_Just like Namine. I don't get it. Why is everyone so interested in me all of a sudden? I mean, more so than usual..._

"What is it?"

"Why Oathkeeper?"

"Huh?"

"You know...Oathkeeper."

"Uh, no, sorry. What exactly are you trying to get at?"

There was a moment of silence, and for some unexplained reason, Roxas began to feel an odd pain in his chest, a stab of fear and sadness that almost overwhelmed him. It was a strange sensation, and though he couldn't explain why, it felt almost as if he were mourning the loss of something he could only vaguely recall somewhere deep within his heart at a subconscious level.

_What...is this feeling? Where did it come from?_

"Roxas, weren't you able to use two Keyblades?" Sora finally blurted out, turning suddenly to look at him. At this point in time, the silence between them had become almost unbearable and it was obvious the Keyblade Master wanted to clear the air before the tension between them could cause a rift too large for either one of them to ever cross over again. "I mean, when you were with the Organization? You confronted Riku in The World That Never Was carrying two Keyblades. Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Only now...it's always just Oathkeeper, and in all my other memories of you, you're always using just one Keyblade, except for that one time with Riku. I mean, sure I'm always using Oblivion, but that doesn't mean you can't still use two Keyblades. I have plenty of other Keyblades you could use for a second one. Why not use the Sleeping Lion, Fenrir, or even the Ultima Weapon as your second Keyblade?"

"What kind of a question is that?"

"Hey, give me a break. I'm just curious to know. You have to admit, I am right. Whenever you summon a Keyblade, you always summon Oathkeeper. Just one Keyblade, and it's _always _Oathkeeper. It's always been that way ever since you appeared to me in The World That Never Was. Er...if you don't count today when you summoned your Nobodies. How come?"

Raising his eyebrows, Roxas gave the Keyblade Master a small smile. "Why do you want to know?"

"I told you, I'm...curious. Like I said, even when you were in the Organization, you normally only used one Keyblade. At least, that's what my memories tell me. But...you could use two. You confronted Riku with two."

"I...I couldn't always use two Keyblades. I used to be just like you. It...it used to be different."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

_Good question...What do I mean? I don't think even I know..._

"Forget it. It's nothing important. Besides, I thought you wanted to know why I always use Oathkeeper now."

"Exactly! That's what I've been-"

"You said it yourself. You're usually using Oblivion, so what do you expect?"

"We went over this already!" Sora countered, giving him an exasperated look. "Why not use Lady Luck or one of the others I mentioned as your second Keyblade? Why is it always just Oathkeeper?"

Summoning the Keyblade in question, Roxas held Oathkeeper lightly in his hands, and running his fingers over its shiny surface, he said softly, "I like the name."

"Roxas..."

_**"See? We meet again, like we promised..."**_

"The element I wield is light. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but this Keyblade reminds me of who I am. Of who _we_ are. Oathkeeper. A Keyblade that's all about keeping promises. I like that."

"Yeah," Sora said softly, a sudden smile slipping across his face.

"Besides, it beats using one of the Keyblades I used when I was a member of the Organization."

"Why's that?"

Roxas hesitated, and looking down at his hands, he said quietly, "It doesn't matter. I can't summon any of my old Keyblades anymore. That's been the case ever since I merged with you. It's probably due to the fact that, with you being you, it just isn't possible. You're not...not like how I used to be. I'm not upset about it, I'm kind of glad. Some of them had names that weren't exactly very...well...happy."

"Like what?" Sora asked quietly, without looking at him.

"Why ask? You already know, I know you do. You've seen them in my memories. Pain of Solitude, Crown of Guilt, Ominous Blight, Glimpse of Darkness, Missing Ache...Need I go on?"

"Yeah," Sora said firmly, looking him directly in the eyes. "Sign of Innocence, Twilight Blaze, Astral Star, Omega Weapon, _Oathkeeper_. Need _I _go on?"

_I should have known he'd say something like that._

That was one of the best things about having an Other. Sora always knew exactly what to say to make him feel better.

The right thing.

"Hey, Roxas? Do you think maybe, if I try to summon one of the Keyblades you used to use, it might...you know...answer my call? I mean...since I'm your original self, I might be able to help you summon them again?"

_What?_

"I don't know, Sora...It might take a little more than that. And for the record, I only started using Oathkeeper _after _I left the Organization."

"Details. Who needs them? Come on, Roxas, the power to summon those Keyblades must still be inside you somewhere. And now that we're together, it only makes sense that it would be inside of me, too. Right? You can summon all of my Keyblades, so I don't see why I shouldn't be able to summon yours. You only think you can't summon them. All you need is for someone to show you how again."

_**"Did it help? Do you remember how it works now?"**_

"Um, Sora..."

Instead of answering him, Sora held up a hand for silence, and closing his eyes, the Keyblade Master began to concentrate on what Roxas could only assume were the memories of the Keyblades that he, the Key of Destiny, had once wielded for the benefit of the Organization. The look of concentration on Sora's face was intense, and just when Roxas was starting to believe that the Keyblade Master's idea was a lost cause, the Keyblade, Sign of Innocence, suddenly appeared in Sora's right hand.

"See?" Sora said in satisfaction, a triumphant smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Nothing to it. Now you try."

_**"What about my Keyblade? Can you control mine?"**_

"Okay, but if this doesn't work, I'm never going to let you forget it!"

Closing his eyes, Roxas did his best to mimic Sora's earlier actions, and concentrating on the Keyblade in Sora's hand, and also the memories of his past, he allowed Oathkeeper to dissipate, leaving his hands free for one of his old Keyblades. He was nervous, but despite the uncertainty he felt, he waited in silence, the sound of his heart pounding loudly in his ears. At first, nothing happened, but then just as he was about to give in, Sign of Innocence suddenly materialized in his hands and the Keyblade Master's hands were left empty.

"It...worked!"

"Of course it worked!" Sora laughed, giving him a playful nudge. "Didn't I say it would?"

"Yeah, but...it's still kind of hard to believe. I don't get it. Why is it that your crazy ideas _always _work?"

"Hey! What do you mean 'crazy ideas?' I thought it was a good idea!"

"Good, but still crazy!"

Sora raised an eyebrow, and summoning Leviathan, the Keyblade Master swung his weapon in a graceful arc, a move that under normal circumstances would have caught any regular person completely off guard.

Unfortunately for Sora, his golden-haired Nobody was _not_ a regular person.

Roxas didn't even have to think about it. Twilight Star appeared easily in his left hand, joining Sign of Innocence, which was still clenched in his right hand, and crossing both Keyblades just in the nick of time, he braced himself for the impending collision. Sure enough, Leviathan slammed into the two Keyblades he held with a resounding clang, and making a face, Sora quickly backed off, lowering his Keyblade in defeat. "You know, it's not like you haven't had your fair share of crazy ideas!"

"Oh, thanks! That's no reason to attack me!"

"Just checking," Sora replied, smiling in amusement. "Got to make sure you stay in fighting form."

"Right. If you're like me, once you've betrayed a force as powerful as the Organization, you tend to spend a lot of time looking over your shoulder. You might be able to outmaneuver Riku occasionally with your speed, but that's not going to work on me!"

" I know," Sora grumbled, whacking him affectionately in the ribs with Leviathan, "but that doesn't mean I can't try. Don't forget, I got you once, I can do it again!"

"Go ahead and try! Just don't blame me when you're the one who ends up with all the bruises!"

"Oathkeeper," Sora suddenly said softly, quickly changing the subject. "Yeah, I can see why it would be your favorite Keyblade."

_That's why you're my Other, Sora. You can understand in a way that no one else can._

Roxas could tell the Keyblade Master was thinking about Kairi, and watching his other half, he found himself thinking about Namine.

_Is there really a chance she could feel the same way Kairi feels? Could Namine possibly care about me just like Kairi cares about Sora?_

"Are there any promises you want to keep?" Sora asked quite unexpectedly, interrupting his thoughts.

Roxas summoned Oathkeeper again, and without hesitation, he mumbled, "All of the ones I'll ever make to you."

Sora stared at him, and reaching out, the Keyblade Master suddenly gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. "Then I'll do the same for you."

"Now it's your turn. Why do you like Oblivion so much?"

"Well...at first I liked it because I thought it looked really cool, but now..."

"Now it means something more to you."

Sora smiled sheepishly at him, and looking a little bit embarrassed, the Keyblade Master quickly lowered his deep blue eyes to the ground, his gaze focusing on something far beneath the clock tower. "Our Keyblade, Oblivion, kind of reminds me of you. It might look like a dark Keyblade on the outside, but its power comes from the light inside of us. Isn't that how it was with you when you were a member of the Organization? On the outside you were one of them, but on the inside you were always one of us. I think maybe the same was true for Axel..."

_Axel..._

Dismissing Oathkeeper with a flick of his wrist, Roxas didn't even try to respond. Instead, he merely placed his hand over the one that still rested upon his shoulder, and hugging his knees tightly against his chest, he turned his head once more to gaze at the brilliant sun shimmering in the distance.

_If Axel were here now, he'd probably be the one calling me a sap._

The thought made Roxas smile, but before he could laugh at his own foolishness, Sora suddenly pulled his hand away.

_Huh?_

Turning to look at the Keyblade Master in surprise, Roxas said hesitantly, "What's wrong, Sora?"

"Roxas, do you remember how you said you forgive Ansem for everything he did to you? Well, if I had never gotten the chance to meet you, I don't know if _I _would have been able to forgive him."

"And you're supposed to be the nice one."

Sora glanced at him, and shaking his head the Keyblade Master said seriously, "I'm not that nice."

"Sora..."

"That's the part that bothers me the most. So many people tried to hide you from me. Riku was the only one who seemed to understand that I needed to know the truth. He did hide the truth about you at first, but still...at least he finally said something in the end. Kairi probably would have done the same thing, but like me she didn't have a clue what was going on. I'm not saying I blame Namine, the King, Axel, or even any of the others for what happened, but Ansem...After all of his research, he still didn't understand until he met me..."

"Maybe that's why he tried to tell you. Yen Sid was the one who said it best. You're the key that connects everything. How do you think I got my name?"

"The Key of Destiny," Sora said softly.

_**"Roxas...I wish I could meet him, too..."**_

"That's right. I battled you at the Station of Awakening, not because I wanted to be the one in control, it was because I wanted to test your strength. I needed to know why you were the one who was chosen. Why _we_ were chosen. Now I know. It's because you're the only one who can do this. You're the only one who can save all the worlds, but you can't do it alone. Without our friends, we would be nothing."

"Speaking of friends, what are we going to do about Namine and Kairi?"

Blushing slightly, Roxas crossed his arms over his chest and frowning at the Keyblade Master, he said, "You promised you wouldn't back out on me."

"It's not that. I'm still planning on telling Kairi how I feel, only...I'm not really sure how I should go about it."

"Well...for starters, you need to pick the right place and the right time to tell her. At least, that's what Olette would say if she were here."

"This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. I'm not sure about when the best time to tell her would be, but...I think I might know what would be the right place."

Smiling at his other half, Roxas said quietly, "Where would you like to tell her?"

"On Destiny Islands," Sora mumbled, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "I want to tell her on the island where the two of us would always hang out together with Riku. It's special to all of us and...I think Kairi would like that."

Remembering the conversation he'd had with Kairi earlier, Roxas nodded his head in agreement. "You're right, it's the perfect spot. As for the right time, I think maybe you should tell her as soon as possible. Tonight would be best, after we get home, but if not then as soon as you get a chance. How does that sound?"

"Do I have a choice?" Sora asked, smiling slightly. "What about you? Where would you like to tell Namine?"

Gazing fondly at the orange sky hovering above the sleepy streets of Twilight Town, Roxas vaguely waved his hand at the tall buildings shooting into the air all around them. "Where else? I want to tell her right here in Twilight Town. I think Sunset Hill would be the perfect spot. Namine seems to like that place."

"I can see why she would, especially after spending so much time with the Organization."

"I wouldn't really know. They always kept her hidden from me, but it feels right. Though...Sunset Hill isn't free from the taint of the Organization either. Namine still has some sad memories of that place, thanks to Axel and some of the others, but even so she still seems to like it. I can understand why. Sunset Hill is always so peaceful."

"Kind of like Destiny Islands," Sora said thoughtfully, pulling up his knees and resting his chin in his hands. "Hey, Roxas, since we happen to be in Twilight Town at the moment, why don't you take Namine over to Sunset Hill right now and tell her how you feel? You're the one who said we should let them know as soon as possible."

Jumping in surprise, Roxas felt his face turn a rosy shade of pink. "Now? I don't know, Sora..."

"Come on, I really think Namine likes you a lot. It'll be easy."

"You're one to talk!"

"If I have to, I'll drag you there myself," Sora threatened, crossing his arms over his chest.

Roxas shook his head and gazing suspiciously at the Keyblade Master, he said slowly, "And if I do go through with your crazy plan, how do I know you won't back out on your end of the deal? What if you decide to get cold feet after I've already gone through with my confession to Namine?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten our pact already!" Sora scolded, elbowing him lightly in the stomach. "All of the promises I make, I'll do my best to keep, especially all of the promises I make to you. I won't back out on our deal. Besides, one of us is going to have to go first and seeing as how we want to tell Namine and Kairi in two different places, telling them at the same time isn't really going to work."

Roxas let out a sigh of defeat, and shaking his head in amusement he gave the Keyblade Master a warm smile. "Why can't I ever say no to you? Fine, I'll tell Namine on Sunset Hill, but...can't it wait till our next visit to Twilight Town? If the two of us wander off together now the others will get suspicious. Besides, it's getting late and I...um...truthfully, I'm really not in the mood to do it right now."

_Namine, what are you hiding from me?_

Roxas could tell there was something the golden-haired Nobody wasn't telling him, and thinking back on the tale Sora and the rest of the gang, including himself, had recited to Hayner, Pence, and Olette, chronicling Sora's entire story from the very first day he had received the Keyblade all the way up to the present, Roxas had a feeling Namine wasn't the only one who was hiding things from him. During Sora's story, Roxas hadn't failed to notice the way Riku had kept glancing in his direction, intently studying his face. What exactly Riku had been expecting to see he did not know, but it was almost as if the other boy had been waiting for him to contradict the information being given to Hayner and the rest of the Twilight Town gang. Like Riku, Namine had also been watching him, but what was even more disturbing was the way Namine and Riku had kept looking at each other, the expressions on their faces indicating their thoughts were very much the same. To him, it looked as if they were attempting to hide the same secret, not only from him, but from Sora and the rest of their friends, as well, and the implications of what that might mean made him feel slightly uneasy.

_What is it they know that I don't know?_

Roxas couldn't be sure, but in his opinion both Namine and Riku had seemed especially interested in watching him during those moments when he would talk about both his past and the Organization itself, as if they'd had a glimpse of some long ago memory, some missing piece of the puzzle that he had forgotten.

_I don't get it, what am I missing?_

Earlier, gazing across the ocean at the bright sun shining over Destiny Islands, Sora by his side, Roxas had assured the Keyblade Master that his past was no longer a mystery to him. Like Sora, he was sure he had finally remembered everything that had happened to him before the two of them had merged together, but now all of a sudden he wasn't so sure.

Sora certainly remembered the events leading up to the fall of the Organization, including Castle Oblivion, but could the same truly be said for him?

_Was Axel really the only other member of the Organization, other than myself, that my Samurai Nobodies tolerated? Did I really spend most of my time in the Organization only with my best friend? Since the day I came into existence, were Olette and Larxene really the only females I got to know very well, or...or was there someone else? Axel wasn't the only one who wanted to help me. Maybe...maybe he wasn't the only one who treated me like I had a heart..._

_"_Roxas?"

Blinking in confusion, Roxas slowly turned to look at his other half, and gazing into Sora's deep blue eyes he swallowed a sudden lump in his throat. "Sorry, I...did you say something?"

Instead of answering, Sora just stared at him.

_Why do I feel so weird all of a sudden? Did the Organization really only have thirteen members? I...I don't know..._

"Roxas..."

Turning his face away, Roxas half expected Sora to make some joke about how if he, Number XIII, didn't reveal his feelings to Namine that day, more than likely the Keyblade Master would have to go first instead, but to his surprise Sora did nothing of the sort. Instead, the Keyblade Master put a hand on his arm, and smiling he said quietly, "I know there's something wrong. You haven't been acting like yourself ever since we left the forest. You don't have to tell me what's wrong if you don't want to, but...Roxas, I didn't walk this road of forgotten memories for nothing. I'm not going to pry, even when we are merged together, but...if you do want to talk, don't forget I'm always here."

_The clock tower. It wasn't always just Axel. There was someone else...Sometimes there were three of us..._

"Roxas? Did you hear me?"

Nodding slowly, Roxas gave the Keyblade Master a quick, reassuring smile. "Yes, I heard you. Thank you, Sora. When I finally understand what's wrong myself, you'll be the first one I tell."

_Axel wasn't the only one who accepted me as an equal. I'm sure of it! At least, I think I am..._

"We should get back to the others, " Sora suddenly said cheerfully, trying his best to lighten the mood. "If we stay here too long they might start to worry about us."

Climbing quickly to his feet, Roxas nodded in agreement, and turning one last time to gaze upon the breathtaking view of Twilight Town, which could only be appreciated from the very top of the clock tower, he frowned uncertainly to himself.

_I thought, like Sora, I had remembered everything about my past, but now I'm not so sure. What if I'm wrong? It doesn't look like Namine's going to tell me her secret any time soon, but...what about Riku? Maybe he might say something..._

Then again, Riku wasn't exactly the type to start spilling secrets either.

_It doesn't matter, I still have to try. Only...if I am right about my past then why can Sora remember everything that had happened to him, but I can't? I got along pretty well with some of the other members of the Organization, but Axel was the only one I could really call a friend. At least, that's what I used to think..._

Even now, all of his old memories were extremely vivid in his mind, but were they telling him the truth about his past, or were they merely deceiving him, hiding what was really real?

_There was someone else, I know it! Her name...It was...it was her. Xion..._


	5. Silence

Disclaimer: I don't own Disney, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, etc.

**A/N: Another chapter! We're getting down to the last three and then I'll be updating the sequel _Sunset Dreams_ again! Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!  
**

The Eyes Of Twilight

Chapter 5: Silence

_Sora_

_Station Heights, The Usual Spot_

Strolling along Market Street through the area in Twilight Town known as Station Heights, once again doing his best to keep both himself and the other side of his heart completely out of sight from prying eyes, (especially those dangerous blue orbs belonging to a certain fair-haired member of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee) Sora cautiously made his way down what was a surprisingly quiet street, something he had not noticed at first, but the longer he studied his surroundings, the more he started to realize just how quiet the atmosphere had become, not only around Station Heights, but also around the rest of Twilight Town. The plaza below the clock tower had been the same way.

_I didn't notice it before, but even the Tram Common wasn't as crowded as it had been before we went into the forest. I can't explain it, but...ever since our trip into the woods, it feels as if Twilight Town has started to become less and less populated. It's almost as if...this town...It feels...darker somehow, like there's a shadow hanging over the city._

Yes, it was indeed quiet. A little _too _quiet, in fact.

The lack of noise, and more importantly the lack of people, seemed rather odd, especially considering the time of day it was, but despite the sudden uneasiness in his heart, Sora continued down the road that would eventually lead both himself and his companion down a narrow street known as the back alley, and from there it was only a short walk to reach the small building under the tracks that Hayner had dubbed 'the usual spot'. It was a path the two wielders of the Keyblade had traveled once already that day, and although Sora felt a strong desire to interrupt the uneasy silence that was threatening to overwhelm him, he contented himself with remaining quiet, his gaze coming to rest every so often on the golden-haired Nobody keeping pace beside him. Roxas hadn't said a single word since their decent from the clock tower, and recognizing there was something not quite right with his other half, Sora hadn't even attempted to start up a conversation. Roxas was clearly lost in thought, and judging from the expression on the golden-haired Nobody's face, it looked as if his thoughts were causing him a lot of stress.

_I don't get it, he was fine earlier. I wonder what's wrong. What is it he's so afraid to tell me?_

Sora frowned to himself, and almost against his will, his mind suddenly wandered back to the strange conversation that had taken place between himself and his Nobody on top of the station tower. At first, their conversation hadn't contained anything out of the ordinary, but then somewhere along the line Roxas had started to act like someone who was doubting not only himself, but also all those around him, and even reality itself.

_I thought meeting Hayner and the others would make Roxas smile more often, but...what if I was wrong?_

No, that wasn't it. Roxas _was_ happy. Well, as happy as one could be while still mourning the loss of one of his best friends. There was no denying the obvious. Hayner and the rest of the Twilight Town gang weren't the problem. There was definitely something else bothering Roxas, something that was clearly having a profound effect on the golden-haired Nobody.

_But...what could it be?_

Despite the fact that Roxas had refused to tell him what was wrong earlier, Sora did not feel at all offended. There was a simple reason for his lack of indignation, and it all came down to the fact that he trusted Roxas completely. He knew his other half would tell him what was wrong eventually, and although he had a habit of getting a little impatient at times, when it came to the other side of his heart, he was willing to wait if it meant Roxas would open up to him a little bit more, though that wasn't to say he did not think Roxas had any faith in him. Quite the contrary, actually. He knew Roxas trusted him just as much as he trusted the golden-haired Nobody. That too wasn't the problem. Unlike himself, Sora knew Roxas sometimes had difficulty expressing his emotions, not because he was a Nobody, of that the Keyblade Master was quite sure of, though Roxas might disagree, it was mostly due to the fact that Roxas was surprisingly quiet by nature, which completely contradicted Sora's own personality. It was truly astonishing how two people could be so similar and yet at the same time they were so different, but even so Sora knew it was only a matter of time before Roxas would start to become just a little bit more adventurous with his feelings.

_I wonder if Roxas realizes...well...he's one of the reasons why I'm so glad I'm me. If I had been anyone else, then he wouldn't be Roxas and I don't think I'd like that very much..._

Sora believed with all his heart that Roxas was in no way an accident, but even so, as far as he knew a Nobody's attitude and appearance were not set in stone. In fact, until a heart was actually taken by the Heartless, there was no way to tell what kind of a Nobody you would end up with. Whether they would be strong or weak, or even what they would look like. It was one of those mysteries Sora was pretty sure he would never understand, and maybe he wasn't meant to. After all, how could anyone ever tell what kind of a Nobody they would end up with simply due to the fact that there were so many possibilities of what might transpire when it came to issues dealing with the heart? For all he knew, Roxas could have turned out to be a Nobody completely different from the thoughtful blond teen whose light seemed to glimmer from somewhere deep inside of him, but luckily fate had intervened and Sora knew he had been given a gift so valuable it was something that could never be replaced. Cutting Roxas out of his life now would have been as painful as severing one of his own limbs. He couldn't do either and still feel whole.

_But I still wonder...Why does Roxas look the way he does? Is it because of my heart? Is it because of me? Is there something about me that played some kind of a role in who Roxas would become? Am I the reason he became the person he is today or...is there something more? Something I'm not seeing?_

_**"Sorry...I'd hate to kill the suspense."**  
_

After meeting the golden-haired Nobody, Sora had finally realized just how glad he was to be himself and he knew there was no way he could ever have a Nobody other than Roxas. Xemnas had brought Roxas into the Organization for the sole purpose of gaining the upper hand in his quest to reclaim the lost hearts of the Nobodies under his command, and his own of course, but ironically enough, recruiting Roxas turned out to be possibly his greatest mistake.

Why? Because Xemnas had completely underestimated the strength of Roxas' heart.

At first Roxas had faithfully carried out his duties for the Organization like a good little Nobody, never debating the Superior's orders, unlike his fellow members, other than perhaps Axel, Roxas was the only one Xemnas had never truly been able to manipulate, the only one who had eventually ended up questioning the powerful Nobody's plans and his motives, though never in front of the other members of the Organization. That wasn't to say that Marluxia and some of the other Nobodies had never questioned Xemnas or the plans he had had in store for them, Sora was sure they had, which was obvious due to the fact that some of them had ended up rebelling against Xemnas, but it wasn't the same. They had spent time questioning whether or not the Superior's plans had been for the benefit of the entire Organization. With Roxas, it had been different. Instead of wasting a lot of time mulling over Xemnas, the golden-haired Nobody had spent more time questioning himself. Why was he working for the Organization? Was there any meaning in what he was doing? Was he doing the right thing? That was what had made Roxas different from the others, and due to the lack of answers he had received for his questions, he had done the only thing he could. Turing his back on Xemnas and the Organization, he had simply walked away, leaving behind his home, Axel, and everything else he had cared about to find his answers. He had shown true courage where the others could not. Even Axel had faithfully followed his Superior's orders. That is...until the day he met Roxas. The day everything changed, not only for Axel, but perhaps for the rest of the Organization, as well. They, too, must have been captivated by the mystery surrounding the golden-haired Nobody, whether they ever admitted it to themselves or not. His unusual aura and his ability to wield light were just that irresistible. Roxas might believe the other members of the Organization never paid much attention to him, but Sora knew better. Everything about Roxas had fascinated them, he was sure of it, and perhaps they had even been a little bit envious of the golden-haired Nobody, if of course it was possible for Nobodies to feel envy. After all, Roxas had something Marluxia, Xaldin, and all of the others didn't have. His heart. As a result, maybe the other members of the Organization, excluding Axel, had even felt a little bit of resentment towards Roxas. If, of course, they could feel resentment.

Did they ignore him? Not at all. In fact, they had paid very close attention to him. Very close attention, indeed.

_Is it because of me? Roxas abandoned the Organization because he wanted to know why the Keyblade had chosen him. Roxas says my heart was calling to him. Is the lure of my heart really that powerful? Is my heart really that strong? Am I really that strong?_

_**"Hey, Sora. Sorry to cut in right when he was getting to the juicy bits..."**  
_

Sora didn't know, but either way it didn't change what had happened. The cracks marring the unity of the Organization had started to show very early on, especially after Castle Oblivion, but the day Roxas had finally decided to leave the Organization...that had been the final nail in the metaphorical coffin for the Organization. Xemnas should have known then that he had already been defeated.

The Key of Destiny. Such a fitting name.

_**"What the...What **_**are_ you people?"_**

**_"Wish I knew the answer to that myself..."  
_**

_I don't think Xemnas ever trusted Roxas, and if he did then I can't help but wonder why. He should have known. He should have realized Roxas would be the one to bring the Organization to its very knees._

In essence, that was exactly what had happened, and Xemnas only had himself to blame. Was Roxas merely a twist of fate, a stroke of good luck? No, Sora didn't believe that for a second. Roxas didn't happen by chance. He was _meant _to happen, and the key Xemnas had tried so hard to use for his own personal gain had turned out to be the key to his destruction.

A sudden thought occurred to Sora, and turning his head slightly he looked at Roxas out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Roxas...what did Vexen think of you?"

Roxas looked at him in surprise and letting out a soft snort, he said bitterly, "Not much, from what I can remember. He never said it to my face, and neither did any of the others, but I bet you an entire year's worth of sea-salt ice cream that he probably would have loved to use me for one of his science experiments. Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"He treated me more like a lab rat than a fellow member of the Organization," Roxas said quietly, a sigh escaping his lips. "Can you blame him, though? A Nobody whose heart was still free from the darkness. I was a perfect specimen for studying purposes. Not that he ever tried anything. Probably because of Axel."

"Why's that?"

"Because if he _had _tried anything, Axel probably would have threatened to slice him up with his chakrams."

Thinking back to his final encounter with Vexen, Sora smiled sadly to himself. "Another thing I never got to thank Axel for."

"Huh?"

"He was always standing up for you. Just like I've always done for Riku, even when I thought our friendship was over..."

_**"Listen, Sora, we've got more in common than you think..."**_

_Axel tried to hide the truth from me by getting rid of Vexen, but...there were times when he acted as if he wanted me to know what the Organization was hiding. It's like he wanted to tell me about Roxas, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. I'm not sure why, but maybe it was because...because he was afraid. Maybe he was afraid I would make Roxas disappear..._

"Sora?"

Jumping at the sudden feel of Roxas' hand on his shoulder, Sora turned quickly to gaze at his Nobody, trying unsuccessfully to smile. "It's nothing. I know Axel was trying to hide the truth from me, but after what you just said, maybe it's for the best he took out Vexen. My only complaint is that I didn't get to do it first!"

Roxas stared at him, and to his surprise the golden-haired Nobody started to laugh. "Axel would have been proud to hear you say something like that."

"It wasn't...you know...like that for all of them. I mean...I felt bad taking Demyx out. He seemed...more like you."

"He made his choice," Roxas said quietly, the smile slipping suddenly from his face. "Just like Axel. Just like I did. Come on, I can hear the others complaining about us taking so long. We should get inside."

Lifting his head, Sora blinked at the sudden sound of carefree voices drifting towards him through the air, and turning to look in the direction Roxas was pointing, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Apparently the two of them had just reached the chain-linked fence blocking the entrance to the usual spot, their bodies facing the small building Hayner and the Twilight Town gang used for a hangout, and sensing the golden-haired Nobody's eyes on him, Sora felt his face turn a deep shade of red. He was pleased he had been able to make Roxas smile, but thanks to his big mouth he had once again effectively ruined the moment.

_I'm always saying something to upset him. Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut from now on..._

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up," Roxas said suddenly, as if reading his mind. "Let's hurry before Hayner starts yelling at us."

"Yeah, he's as bad as Riku."

Smiling at each other, the two of them quickly entered the usual spot, fully expecting to receive a scolding from at least one of their friends, if not more of them.

Sure enough, almost before they had made it through the door, Hayner grabbed Roxas by the arm, and frowning he gave the golden-haired Nobody a light punch in the ribs. "Hey, what took you so long? We've been waiting forever here!"

"As much as I'd love to stay longer, we really should get going," Kairi sighed, hopping reluctantly to her feet. "It might not look like it here in Twilight Town, but it's getting late. By now, the sun is probably starting to set back on Destiny Islands."

"She's right," Riku agreed, pushing away from the wall he had been leaning casually against only moments before. "We can beam back to the Gummi Ship from here."

"You're leaving already?" Olette asked, looking slightly disappointed. "But..."

"They'll come back soon and visit us again. Right, Sora?" Pence asked hesitantly.

"Of course! We'll be back before you know it."

"You'd better be or you're going to have to answer to me!" Hayner threatened.

"Riku? Could we maybe...Is it okay if we warp back to the Gummi Ship on Sunset Hill?" Namine asked softly, glancing uncertainly at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade.

"Well...we don't have any munny to take the train again..."

Turning to gaze at Namine, Sora gave the female Nobody a warm smile. "We could always take the tunnel way."

"But...Seifer might still be hanging around Sunset Terrace!" Roxas protested. "We didn't see him in the plaza earlier, which means he must have gotten on the train to Sunset Station. If that's the case then he's probably wandering around Sunset Terrace right now. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a chance to get back at him for his earlier comments, but..."

_That's strange. Earlier, I'd gotten the impression Roxas wanted to meet up with Seifer again. He seemed only too eager before. I wonder why the sudden change..._

"We'll go to Sunset Hill," Riku said pleasantly. "Sunset Terrace is a big place. I doubt we'll have any trouble avoiding Seifer, especially if we go through the tunnel way."

"I don't know..."

Turning slightly to look at Roxas, Sora gave the golden-haired Nobody a quick smile. "It'll be okay. If Namine really wants to see Sunset Hill again, then I don't see why there's any reason not to go. Personally, I agree with Riku. I doubt Seifer will be a problem."

"Thank you, Sora," Namine said happily, a bright smile appearing suddenly on her face.

"Thanks a lot, Sora. That's the last time I ever stick up for you," Roxas grumbled, giving him a dirty look.

Leaning close to the golden-haired Nobody, Sora whispered, "Come on, you said you wanted to tell Namine how you feel on Sunset Hill, right? Now would be the perfect opportunity to say something!"

"Sora, I told you! I...I don't feel like doing it today..."

"But-"

"Well, if we're going to get going, let's hurry up already!" Hayner said impatiently.

"Hey, Sora, if you guys can beam up to the Gummi Ship right here in our hangout, why didn't you just beam straight here when you first came to Twilight Town?" Pence asked curiously.

"Gawrsh, we didn't want to scare you guys," Goofy explained, looking a little sheepish. "Besides, it's not very polite to enter without knocking."

"Can you imagine how you guys would have reacted if we had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere?" Kairi laughed, shaking her head. "We thought it would be more polite if we caught up to you the old fashion way."

"Yeah, I can imagine how Hayner would have reacted!" Olette giggled. "It'd be Axel all over again. So, is everyone ready to go?"

"I guess," Roxas mumbled, though he looked a little bit uncertain.

Frowning slightly, Sora grabbed Roxas by the arm, and ignoring the other boy's protests he proceeded to drag his Nobody out the door. Much to his surprise, for some odd reason Roxas kept glancing anxiously at their surroundings, and although it was hard to tell, it looked as if the golden-haired Nobody was especially interested in the dark shadows lurking in the corners of the gloomy path leading back towards Station Heights.

_What is he looking at? Wait, no...he's not really looking at anything. It's more like he's looking for something, or someone...I don't get it, what am I missing?_

Truthfully, he didn't have a clue, but there was one thing he was sure of. Roxas needed his help and despite what the golden-haired Nobody had said earlier, Sora knew he needed to find out what was going on before it was too late...


	6. Oathkeeper

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Final Fantasy...you know, the usual.

**A/N: And back again with another rewrite chapter! Sorry about the wait, but I am back! Again, familiar lines are taken from the GBA version of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_, _Kingdom Hearts II, _and _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. _And of course they are the property of Square Enix and Disney. Also, this is one of the chapters that has the fewest amount of changes in it since it does not mention Xion or anything else related to _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. _Now, onto another chapter!  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

Chapter 6: Oathkeeper

_Sora_

_Tunnel Way, Twilight Town_

_This place is so dark, even more so than I remember from the last time I came through these tunnels. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea..._

_**"In case you forgot, the Organization runs a stealth operation..."**  
_

Trailing along by himself near the back of the group, Sora couldn't help glancing suspiciously over his right shoulder, fully expecting to catch someone following him, but instead the long, gloomy passage remained silent, and with the exception of his large group of friends, who were strolling along in front of him, there didn't seem to be any sign of life lurking about the shadowy corridors of the tunnel way. It was a little bit unnerving, and yet despite the lack of anything even remotely out of the ordinary, he couldn't help feeling as if there was someone watching him.

_**"You don't have to sneak around now that you're one of them..."**_

_There's no one there! I'm just imagining things because I'm worried about Roxas. Maybe his attitude is starting to rub off on me..._

"You know...this place is kind of creepy," Kairi suddenly said quietly, her voice echoing slightly in the darkness of the tunnel way.

It was almost as if she had read his mind, and blushing a deep shade of red, Sora quickly ducked his head to hide the embarrassment written all over his face.

"Tell me about it," Roxas mumbled, his deep blue eyes darting nervously in the direction of a dim passage leading off to his right. "I never really liked coming through here. I always tried to take the train as much as possible."

"Bad memories, huh?" Olette asked softly, slipping her arm around the golden-haired Nobody's waist in a comforting hug.

"Some. It's just...it reminds me a lot of Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town..."

"That's right, I almost forgot. So many strange things have happened to you, it's kind of hard to keep track sometimes."

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," Roxas insisted, dismissing the dark-haired female's concern with a wave of his hand. "It's just...I'm not sure if I like this place very much."

"Well, if you're sure..."

_Olette might believe you, but you can't fool me, Roxas. I know there's something wrong, only...is it all in your head or is there something else bothering you? Is there something there, something threatening us that I can't see? Is it just old insecurities flaring up again or is there something more dangerous out there than just the sting of old memories? I don't know, but I do know I want to help you..._

Although none of them had been walking for very long, despite his resolve to remain focused, ever since entering the tunnels connecting the residential area of Twilight Town to the shopping district, Sora had been unable to take his eyes off the back of his golden-haired Nobody's head. Not surprisingly, Roxas was doing his best to reassure everyone that he was fine, but even so Sora couldn't help obsessing over his Nobody's well being, and of course his Nobody's current state of mind. No matter what Roxas said, Sora knew full well his other half was far from being fine.

_Which explains why he's ignoring me all of a sudden. I know he doesn't want me to worry about him, but I can't help it..._

If there was one thing he had discovered about having a Nobody, it was the fact that he could not disregard Roxas as a part of him that held little importance. The truth was, everything about Roxas fascinated him, and even though he now understood the meaning behind the existence of Nobodies, he knew there was still so much more he needed to learn about their significance, most especially about Roxas. The golden-haired Nobody had given up everything for him, and that was something Sora knew he could never repay.

_**"Sora...you're lucky. It looks like my summer vacation is...over..."**_

_I don't deserve to have a Nobody like Roxas..._

And yet, the thought of having a Nobody who was anyone other than Roxas was positively terrifying.

"Sora?"

Letting out a gasp of surprise, Sora glanced up in alarm, Oblivion already in his hand, and whirling around in confusion, he found himself gazing into Namine's bright blue eyes. "Namine! I..."

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Namine asked softly, her lips twitching into a small smile. "Roxas did the same thing to me earlier."

Blushing slightly, Sora quickly dismissed Oblivion with a sharp flick of his wrist and smiling sheepishly he said, "No, not really. Hey, you seem pretty serious. Is something wrong?"

"N-not exactly...At least, not with me..."

Almost without even realizing what they were doing, both of them turned simultaneously to gaze at Roxas.

"You're worried about him, aren't you," Namine murmured, her voice just barely above a whisper.

Making a face, Sora nodded and he let out a deep sigh. "I can't help it."

"Me either. Sora, I hope you'll forgive me, but...I think the way Roxas is acting right now might partly be my fault."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Frowning slightly, Namine quickly shook her head. "It's nothing. Sora, I'm really glad you and Roxas got to meet each other. If you hadn't, it would have been all my fault..."

"Why? You weren't the one trying to keep us apart."

"I know, but...I'm the one who played around with your memories. If it weren't for me, you might have understood the significance of Twilight Town a long time ago. You might have even remembered it..."

_**"Maybe it's like with Namine. You forgot other stuff, so now you remember this place."**_

_**"No...it's different. With Namine, the memories of us together sort of came drifting back piece by piece. But here, there are no memories. Everything feels familiar, that's all."**_

_**"Does it now? A question then, Sora...which is more real to you? Your memories of Namine, or the familiarity you feel here?"**_

_**"Namine, of course! Whatever I feel here is just some trick of yours!"**_

_**"Ha, ha, ha...The memory's wiles are cruel. In its silence, we forget. And in its perversion, it binds our hearts firmly."**_

"You forgot about Roxas because of me," Namine whispered, tears forming suddenly in her sparkling blue eyes. "He was there in your heart all along, but I was the one who stopped you from seeing the truth."

Gazing silently at Roxas, who seemed unaware of the fact that he was being watched, Sora shook his head in denial. "No. Vexen tried to tell me, but I wouldn't listen..."

_**"If you remain bound by the chains of memory and refuse to believe in your heart...then you may as well throw your heart away. You're no Keyblade Master, no master of anything, just a slave to twisted memories..."**_

"Sora?" Namine whispered.

"It's not your fault, Namine. The only person I have to blame is myself. If I had only listened to my heart, I would have seen the truth. But...don't you see? That's why it was so hard. You were also in my heart, just like Roxas. How was I supposed to choose? All of my friends are important to me. How do I choose one over the other? At the time, you were the one in danger, not Roxas. You were the one who needed help."

"But...to choose me over Roxas..."

Sora came to a stop, and wrapping his arms around Namine he whispered softly in her ear, "I chose you _because _of Roxas. Maybe I didn't throw my heart away completely. Now that I look back on Castle Oblivion, I think a part of Roxas was with me the whole time. Don't you see? If I had let Marluxia decide your fate, Roxas never would have forgiven me. We both wanted to save you. Roxas might not have known you at the time, but that doesn't matter. Even without any memories, Kairi was still in his heart, which means you were too."

"Even so, you should have hated me for what I did to you," Namine said sadly, hiding her face against his shoulder.

"If I had hated you, Roxas never would have forgiven me for that either, and Kairi definitely wouldn't have."

"W-what do you mean?"

Smiling at Namine, Sora shrugged his shoulders, trying his best to look innocent. "You'll see soon enough. I won't lie, Namine. When I think back on what Vexen said, it still hurts. I can't believe I was so _stupid_, but...I know Roxas wouldn't want me to blame myself."

"No," Namine agreed. "Roxas doesn't hold anything against you. He knows none of what happened was your fault."

"Namine, do you remember our promise to each other?"

_**"I'll find you again after I wake up, and we'll be friends for real! Promise me, Namine!"**_

_**"You'll only forget..."**_

_**"I won't. Even if you take apart the chain of memories in my heart, the links will stay there. This memory will always be inside me somewhere."**_

_**"I guess you're right. Let's promise then."**_

"Of course! I could never forget it."

Pulling back slightly, Sora gave her shoulders a quick squeeze, and smiling he said, "We promised each other we would meet again. We promised each other we would be real friends. Look where we are now, Namine. It looks like we were able to keep our promise to each other."

"Yes. I'm so happy, Sora. I should have known you would never break your promise to me."

"Hey, Namine?"

"Yes, Sora?"

"Thanks for...you know, looking out for Roxas while he was in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town. While I was asleep, I mean. I really appreciate it."

"But...I didn't really do anything," Namine said shyly, looking a little bit confused.

Turning his face away, Sora said quietly, "You did more than you know."

"Sora? Would you...make another promise to me?"

Sora looked up in surprise, and gazing curiously at Namine he scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Another promise?"

"Please? Promise me you'll look out for Roxas. Promise me you won't let anything bad happen to him."

"Of course."

"Really?" Namine gasped, her voice sounding meek and subdued.

Sora stared at her, and summoning Oathkeeper he held the Keyblade out right under the golden-haired Nobody's nose. "I swear it on Oathkeeper. I won't let anything bad happen to Roxas."

_Not this time. Never again._

Namine bit her lip, and letting out a soft sigh of relief, she flung her arms around him again in a tight hug. "Thank you, Sora. I'm so worried about him. It's partly my fault. He's going to be so mad at me. And Riku, too...even though there isn't much we can tell him. But...he won't see it that way. I know it, and how can I blame him?"

_Huh? Riku? What is she talking about?_

"Hey, you two, aren't you coming?" Kairi asked softly, the sudden sound of her voice causing Sora to look up in surprise.

Glancing over Namine's shoulder, he spotted the red-haired female watching him curiously, and plastering what he hoped was a genuine smile on his face he said, "We're coming."

"You'd both better hurry up then or you're going to get left behind!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Kairi. I didn't mean to hold everyone up," Namine murmured, avoiding her other half's eyes.

Clasping her hands together behind her back, Kairi shrugged her shoulders, and tilting her head to the side, she smiled fondly at both of them. "It's okay. I just didn't want Donald to complain about having to come back for you guys. Actually, I'm sorry if I interrupted anything important. It's just...you guys looked pretty serious. Is there something wrong?"

Sora was about to answer when he realized Roxas had also stopped to watch the drama unfolding, and avoiding the male Nobody's eyes, he quickly ducked his head, unsure of how to respond. "We're fine, Kairi. Really."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," Namine insisted, smiling at her other half. "I'm sorry if we made you worry."

"If anything does come up, though, you guys will tell me, right?" Kairi asked, glancing uncertainly between the two of them.

Releasing Namine's shoulders, Sora quickly pulled Kairi into a warm hug, and smiling down at her he said softly, "If I ever understand what's going on myself, I'll be sure to let you know, but...I hope Namine will tell you before I ever get a chance to."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kairi asked, frowning in confusion.

Shaking her head, Namine gave Kairi a quick, reassuring hug from behind, and tugging on the red-haired female's hand she said quietly, "Come on, Kairi, we should keep moving. Maybe I'm just being silly, but I understand how Roxas feels. I don't like this place very much either."

It was only after Kairi had slipped out of his arms that Sora suddenly realized what he had done, and blushing at his own boldness, his skin still tingling from the feel of Kairi's arms around his waist, he quickly hurried to catch up with the rest of the group, stopping for a brief moment to catch his breath. A sudden hand on his shoulder made him jump, and looking up in surprise, he found himself gazing into his Nobody's sapphire eyes. "Roxas! Hey, listen..."

"You see it, too," Roxas mumbled, his gaze flickering nervously towards Namine.

"See what?"

Instead if answering, Roxas merely stared at him in thoughtful contemplation, the expression on the golden-haired Nobody's face giving no indication as to what he was feeling inside. He didn't look angry, that much Sora could tell for sure, but something about the way he carried himself made Sora think he was attempting to hide what looked like fear. At least, that's what it felt like to Sora.

_It's just like before..._

"Roxas? You trust me, right?"

"Didn't you already ask me that once before? You know...when I was in the Organization, even though I didn't always know what was going on, I did what I was told. But...I've mentioned all of this to you already, right? It was hard for me to trust the other members, and yet, despite that I still followed them blindly. Stupid, huh?" Roxas murmured in response, a slight smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Most of them I never did learn to fully trust, with good reason, mind you, despite the fact that I got a long pretty well with some of them, and Axel...even he had to prove his worth before I would allow myself to open up to him, but you...it was so easy. There was never any doubt. When we finally merged together, there was never any question about whether or not I could learn to trust you. I just did. It was as simple as that. I'm not sure why, but...I think, after merging with you, it was then that I finally learned how to trust myself."

Leaning close to the golden-haired Nobody, Sora hesitated before whispering, "And I thought _you _said you didn't trust yourself. Finally starting to believe me, are you?"

"Axel...even he broke my trust, after I allowed myself to believe in him...but you...I know you never will."

"But you forgive Axel, right?"

To Sora's surprise, Roxas actually smiled, and gazing at his hands, the golden-haired Nobody said quietly, "There was never anything to forgive. Sometimes, in order to protect the people we care about, we have to give the illusion that we've broken our promises and that we've shattered the trust we have in the people who are most important to us. But...that doesn't mean we've actually broken anything, and it doesn't change the way we really feel. You were the one who taught me that, Sora."

"I did? Oh. Well, that's good then. By the way, aren't you going to ask me about Namine?"

It was the opening Roxas had clearly been waiting for. Perking up immediately, his transparent cheeks turning a deep shade of red, the golden-haired Nobody mumbled, "What were you guys talking about?"

"Actually, we were talking about you."

"W-what?"

"You know...I think Namine might feel the same way you do. Are you sure you don't want to talk to her on Sunset Hill?"

Summoning Oathkeeper, Roxas whacked him hard in the side with the Keyblade before stomping off to join Hayner and Riku at the front of the group, and smiling fondly at the back of his Nobody's golden head, Sora once again found himself racing to catch up with the rest of the group, his footsteps echoing off the walls of the tunnel leading towards Sunset Terrace.

Despite the smile on his face, though, he couldn't help feeling just a little bit uncertain about his Nobody's state of mind. Even though Roxas had hit him playfully with the Keyblade, acting every bit as if he didn't have a single care in the world, Sora hadn't failed to notice the way his Nobody had kept glancing nervously back down the tunnel way during their brief conversation. There was no denying the obvious. Roxas was afraid of something, but what exactly it was that was bothering him, Sora couldn't be sure. Despite his confusion, though, there was one thing he did know. It didn't matter what was bothering Roxas. As a chosen wielder of the Keyblade, he had made a promise to Namine, and no matter what happened he was going to keep his promise, just like he had one year ago.

_For Namine, for Axel, and for me..._


	7. The Road to Dawn

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and so on.

**A/N: The final chapter of the rewrite is finally done! For the last time, the lines in this story are taken from _Kingdom Hearts II, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, _and the original GBA version of _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories._ Now, as you all know, I have started the third installment to this little series and it's called _Sunset Dreams, _which I will now be continuing to update so look for a new chapter soon! Thank you to those of you who did take a few moments out of your busy days to review. Your feedback is much appreciated, and I look forward to hearing from you for this chapter! These Kingdom Hearts stories are some of my favorite stories I've written so far so I hope you all like them too! On that note, please review and if you haven't started doing so already, after you've finished reading this chapter go read _Sunset Dreams!_  
**

The Eyes of Twilight

Chapter 7: The Road to Dawn

_Roxas_

_Xion...who are you? I can't remember. It's like...like you're missing from my memories. Your name...I don't even remember calling anyone by that name. Where did it come from? I can't recall your face, but the name sounds so familiar. Are you even really real or are you just a figment of my imagination? Is my memory somehow playing tricks on me?_

"Roxas?"

_This is crazy! I don't know anyone by that name. I'm sure of it! But...for some reason I feel like I should..._

"Roxas!"

"Huh?"

A gentle hand came to rest unexpectedly against the golden-haired Nobody's shoulder, and jerking around in fear, fully convinced there was a sinister Nobody or an evil Heartless (or perhaps something even worse) lurking in the shadows behind him, Roxas nearly stumbled in surprise when, much to his embarrassment, he realized the hand resting upon his shoulder did not in fact belong to some servant of the dark. Instead, he found himself gazing into Riku's aqua eyes, which looked a bright shade of green in some lights and blue in others, and feeling angry at himself for allowing the other boy to sneak up behind him almost unnoticed, he quickly hid the relief he felt at not coming face to face with something straight out of his nightmares behind an angry glare, which he directed at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade. "Don't scare me like that!"

Pulling his hand away, Riku raised his eyebrows in surprise, clearly startled by the reaction his perfectly innocent behaviour had caused, and shaking his head he said coolly, "What's with you?"

"Nothing. I...it's just...if you're going to sneak up behind me like that the least you could do is warn me first. Unless of course you _want _me to accidentally stab you with the Keyblade."

"No thanks. I think I've earned my fair share of abuse from you already," Riku said dryly, a slight smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Nice to see you're in such a good mood. Is something wrong?"

Blushing a deep shade of red, Roxas quickly shook his head. "No! For your information, I'm perfectly fine."

"Really...Well, if that's the case then why don't you try telling Sora just how _fine _you are and we'll see how far that gets you. Seriously, Roxas, you'd better snap out of it. We've almost reached the end of the tunnel way. If Seifer really is still hanging around Sunset Terrace then you'd better keep your guard up. Or...have you changed your mind again? Still planning on getting your revenge?"

Roxas stared at the older boy in surprise, and frowning he said slowly, "How did you..."

"Have you forgotten what you said just before we left the usual spot? You pretty much admitted you still want a chance to get at Seifer. Actually, it was more like you blatantly admitted it. Besides, it was already kind of obvious even before you said anything. I figured you'd be annoyed by what he said about Hayner and Sora."

"Well, what did you expect? Don't you feel the same way?"

"Now that you mention it, I guess I do," Riku smirked, summoning his Keyblade and twirling it lightly in his hand. "He could use a little lesson on the proper way to treat other people with respect, but that still doesn't explain you. Why are you suddenly so reluctant to face him when earlier you would have jumped at the chance to make him think he'd seen a ghost?"

"I...I just don't feel like confronting him right now."

"Why not?"

Glancing nervously over his shoulder, Roxas quickly turned away again when he realized Sora was watching him, and shaking his head he hastily pointed to the opening of tunnel entrance number one up ahead. "There's the exit. We should hurry before Seifer decides to take a stroll through the tunnel way instead of heading back to Sunset Station. Knowing him, he'll do the exact opposite of what we want him to do, which wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. He's known for that sort of thing. In fact, it seems to be a bad habit of his."

"No kidding," Hayner snorted, appearing suddenly out of nowhere on Riku's other side. "It's like some sort of creepy talent he has. Normally, at this time of day, he's usually hanging out at the Sandlot, which means he'll probably be heading back there at any moment so we'll need to hurry. Although, if you ask me, I think we should sneak up on him and-"

"Nobody asked you!" Olette scolded, interrupting the blond struggler before he could get any more crazy ideas into his head. "Seifer never uses the tunnel way unless he runs out of munny so I think we're still safe for now, but even if that's true, like Roxas said, we should still hurry. You never know, Hayner, today might be the day Seifer decides to run out of cash, and even if you're right about the Sandlot, that doesn't mean there isn't a chance he could still be hanging around Sunset Terrace."

"I know, I know. We'll be careful. I promise."

Sighing softly to himself, Roxas quickly led the group around the corner towards the tunnel entrance shining faintly up ahead and stepping out into the gloomy sunshine streaming down upon the quiet streets of Sunset Terrace, he glanced around quickly, his sapphire eyes searching for any sign of Seifer's golden-blond hair and long white coat. Beside him, his other half was also frowning suspiciously in the direction of the station, but despite the determined look on Sora's face, Roxas could tell the Keyblade Master's attention wasn't really focused on either Sunset Terrace or on Sunset Station at all.

_He's not searching for Seifer. The person he's really watching is...me..._

Deep down inside_, _Roxas knew Sora was really worried about him, but despite how much he desperately wanted to comfort the Keyblade Master, to reassure Sora that he was perfectly fine, he chose instead to remain silent. After all, telling Sora he was fine would be a lie, and if there was one thing he knew he could never do, it would be to lie to the one who held the key to his heart.

_Lying to Sora would be the same as lying to myself. I can't do that. Not anymore..._

And yet, even so, he still wanted badly to stop Sora from worrying about him, but unfortunately it looked as if putting the Keyblade Master's fears to rest was going to have to wait a little while longer.

_I'm sorry, Sora. I never meant to ruin your good mood, but why though? You shouldn't worry about me so much. I don't deserve it..._

"Doesn't it seem a little...quiet to you guys?" Pence suddenly asked hesitantly, his dark eyes darting nervously towards the road leading to Sunset Hill.

Suppressing a sudden strong urge to summon Oathkeeper, Roxas frowned suspiciously at the people milling around Sunset Terrace, and almost against his will, he found himself nodding in agreement, unable to deny Pence's accurate observation of the scene playing out in front of them.

_Sunset Terrace seems pretty busy compared to the rest of Twilight Town, but even so it still feels...empty somehow. I mean, it's not that Twilight Town ever really loses its sleepy atmosphere, but despite the fact that the people who live here always seem to move at a relaxed pace, Sunset Terrace should still be a lot busier than it is now, especially at this time of day when everyone is heading home for dinner or just to relax after a long day of work or school..._

"You're right, Pence. It does seem a little quiet," Sora said slowly, looking just a little bit unsure of his words.

"What are you guys talking about? Sunset Terrace doesn't seem any different to me," Hayner snorted, making a face.

"But-"

"Get over it, Sora. Come on, you're just imagining things."

"No, he isn't. I feel it, too!" Pence protested.

"Yeah, well you're always imagining things so your opinion doesn't really count."

"Hey!"

"You're with me on this one, right, Roxas?" Hayner asked, grinning and rolling his eyes in Pence's direction.

_No. Sora and Pence aren't imagining things. There's something not...right about this place._

Of course, admitting his fears to Hayner didn't really seem like a sensible option at the present moment, so instead of responding Roxas merely smiled at his best friend, hoping despite the sudden uneasiness he felt that his true feelings weren't revealing themselves plainly on his face.

As for the rest of his friends, Olette, Goofy, and Donald didn't seem to think there was anything out of the ordinary going on, if the confused expressions on their faces were anything to go by, but both Kairi and Namine were a different story. Both the red-haired female and her golden-haired Nobody were gazing nervously at the sparsely populated streets of Sunset Terrace and from the expressions on their faces it was obvious they felt that something was wrong. Riku's face, on the other hand, lacked any kind of emotion whatsoever, but despite the absence of suspicion in his eyes, he too seemed to think there was something not quite right about the lack of people wandering around Sunset Terrace.

_**"No matter how far away the light gets, your heart's voice will always reach it..."**_

"Uh...guys? Is there...um...something wrong?" Olette asked hesitantly, exchanging a quick look with Hayner.

"It's nothing," Riku said calmly, dismissing Olette's concerns with a wave of his hand. "Old fears should remain in the past where they belong. Let's go before-"

"Look, it's Seifer!" Pence whispered fiercely, pointing towards a small group of teenagers who had just wandered into sight, almost seemingly from out of nowhere. Clearly the four members of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee had just come from Sunset Hill, and judging from the direction they were heading in it looked as if they were making their way back towards Sunset Station.

"Well? What should we do, Roxas? It's your call," Riku said mildly, nodding his head towards Seifer.

Almost without even realizing what he was doing, Roxas quickly summoned Oathkeeper, its shiny surface sparkling faintly in the pale light of the sun, and turning his back on Seifer he pointed the Keyblade in the direction of Sunset Hill. "Forget Seifer. We'll deal with him the next time we come to Twilight Town. Like I said before, I still want my chance to get a little bit of revenge on him, but it can wait."

"Why? Now would be the perfect time to get back at him, since there aren't a lot of people hanging around."

Leaning close to the older boy, Roxas said quietly, "Because...there's something more important I have to do first."

"What do you mean?" Riku asked quietly, avoiding his eyes.

_It's almost like he knows..._

Roxas was about to respond when Sora suddenly stepped up behind him, making him jump in surprise. Unfortunately, to his dismay, he realized Sora must have overheard their conversation because the Keyblade Master smiled and said, "You mean...you really are going to go through with it?"

_Huh?_

Roxas frowned in confusion, and glancing suspiciously at the Keyblade Master he said, "With what?"

"You know, what we talked about earlier. Namine."

_No, Sora. What I have to do now has absolutely nothing to do with telling Namine how I feel about her. That will come later. First, I need to know what both she and Riku are hiding from me. It's about me. It's about my past. I can feel it..._

"You sure like to space out a lot," Riku suddenly smirked, startling him out of his thoughts. "You're as bad as Sora, if not worse."

"Hey!" Sora shouted, glaring indignantly at his best friend.

Purposely turning his back on Seifer, Roxas motioned for the others to follow him, and stepping out of the tunnel way, he proceeded to head towards Sunset Hill, once again making an effort to stay close to the buildings and out of sight. Thankfully, Seifer never once looked back towards Sunset Hill, and before Roxas even had a chance to make it to the edge of Sunset Terrace, the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee and his group of underlings disappeared from sight, their obvious destination being the train which would take them back to Central Station.

_I wonder if Seifer has noticed the change in atmosphere around here. Probably not. He's never really been the observant type. I'll get him back for what he said about my friends the next time Sora decides to visit Twilight Town. Maybe then he'll finally learn his lesson, although I highly doubt even seeing a 'ghost' will make much of a difference with him._

Shaking his head, Roxas quickly made the climb towards Sunset Hill, and reaching the top of the cliff he took a quick peek at Sora and the rest of his friends from underneath his blond lashes, wondering if maybe perhaps he was making a bad decision when it came to trying to get some information out of Riku, especially since there were so many other people hanging around, which meant his chances of being overheard were much higher than if he were to converse with Riku in private, but seeing as how Sora and the rest of his friends were completely absorbed in the process of saying goodbye to one another it looked like now might be his only chance to get Riku all to himself.

_Well, I guess it's now or never. It might be a long while before I get another chance to spend some time alone with Riku, and I need to know what's going on before I drive myself completely crazy just thinking about all the horrible things that could possibly be wrong with me. Why? Why do I feel like my memory is betraying me? I need to know..._

"Worrying about what might possibly be wrong with you isn't going to get you anywhere. You know that, right?" a sudden voice murmured softly in his ear.

Whirling around in surprise, Roxas quickly lashed out with Oathkeeper, fully expecting to find himself in the presence of something straight out of the Realm of Darkness, but instead his Keyblade met Riku's Way to the Dawn with a resounding clang.

_Uh oh..._

Apparently the sound of their Keyblades clashing was loud enough to attract the attention of their friends because the whole group suddenly glanced in their direction and Olette said curiously, "What are you two up to?"

"Practicing," Riku said smoothly, shrugging his shoulders and twirling his Keyblade with a flourish before allowing it to disappear from sight.

Roxas gaped at the older boy, startled by the ease in which the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade had managed to lie his way out of what could possibly have become somewhat of an awkward situation, but what was even more astonishing was the way everyone else appeared to accept Riku's explanation without a second thought.

_Everyone except Sora, that is._

Unlike Olette and pretty much everyone else, except perhaps Namine, Sora proceeded to gaze long and hard at Riku before once again turning his attention back to Hayner and the rest of the group, who were crowded around the Keyblade Master in a tight circle. Roxas also hadn't failed to notice the way Sora had looked at _him _and blushing he gave Riku an angry glare. "Didn't I tell you not to sneak up on me like that?"

"Sorry," Riku smirked, not looking the least bit sorry at all.

Letting out a soft snort, Roxas moved to stand near the edge of the cliff, and resting his arms on the old wooden fence surrounding the perimeter of Sunset Hill he proceeded to gaze quietly at the sun shining weakly in the distance. He felt, rather than saw, Riku step up next to him and together they watched the sun in comfortable silence, neither one of them feeling the need to talk to each other, or to anyone else for that matter.

They stayed that way for what seemed like hours, though it was really only a few minutes, and just when Roxas thought the silence would go on forever, Riku at last spoke, his words soft and quiet and his expression serious in the light of the fading sun. "Roxas, memory is the key, but it isn't always the answer. I won't deny that our memories are important to us, but they aren't everything. In order to plan your future, you have to first understand your past, but that doesn't mean you should allow the chains of memory to bind you to what can't be undone. Remember that. You never know, it might come in handy someday."

"Riku, do you mind if I ask you something?"

Riku glanced quickly at him, and turning away the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade murmured, "Depends on what it is."

"Well, I'm not really sure. I was hoping _you _could tell _me_."

"So...you're starting to remember."

Shaking his head, Roxas dismissed Oathkeeper with a quick flick of his wrist, and frowning he clenched both of his hands into tight fists. "No, that's the problem! I don't remember, but you do! You and Namine. What is it? What are you two hiding from me?"

"Roxas...I know you probably won't believe me, but...Namine and I really don't know much more than you do. I won't lie to you. I'll admit we've started to remember some things, too, but...it's not enough yet. Not enough to satisfy _your_ curiosity, that's for sure. There's a lot Namine and I still don't understand, but there's one thing we do know for sure. There are still some things about your past you have yet to remember, and not just you, but all of us," Riku said slowly, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "We all have missing memories, memories of...well, it's better for you to find out on your own. I don't know how much you know exactly, how much you've remembered...Maybe it's the name, or maybe it's only a fleeting memory, but either way it's hardly more than what I know, or even what Namine knows. That's what this is about, isn't it? You're starting to question your past, and that includes your memories."

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Look, it's...hard to explain. Namine and I...we both know some things even Sora doesn't know, and I'm pretty sure you do too, even if you aren't able to remember any of those particular things at the moment. Though...maybe Sora knows more than we give him credit for. Maybe he's even the key to all of us remembering. Funny, isn't it? He was asleep the whole time, but I have this feeling...and from the little I know, I think he missed a lot. I don't know eveything, not even close, but Namine and I...we're sure a lot of it involves you, at least that's what Namine believes. I know what you want, but...if you think you're going to get some information out of me, despite the fact that I know little more than you do, then I'm going to have to disappoint you. I know you want to know what's going on, but if you think I'm going to be the one to tell you, it's not going to happen. Even if I could tell you, I wouldn't. Sorry, Roxas. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but...I can't help you."

Roxas turned to stare at the older boy in disbelief and feeling a sudden surge of anger bubbling up inside of him, he snapped, "Why not?"

"I told you why, but...there's more to it than that. Don't you see? Only you have the right to tell Sora _your_ story. No one else."

"Huh?"

"Listen, Roxas, sooner or later we're all going to start remembering, including you, and if your recent weird behaviour is anything to go by then it looks like the process of regaining your lost memories is already starting to begin. Just like it has with both myself and Namine. No...just before you merged with Sora. That's where it really started for you. But...unlike Sora, the process of regaining your lost memories isn't yet complete."

"But...I'm not the one who went through Castle Oblivion..."

Riku shrugged his shoulders, and smiling slightly, he said, "It's kind of complicated. The point is, soon we'll all remember everything, and when that happens you need to be the one to tell Sora your history. He deserves to hear it from you. Besides, I think it's better for you if you remember all of your past at your own pace instead of having someone else give you hints about what really happened during the days when you were still a member of the Organization."

"Huh?"

"The days when Sora was asleep. Something big happened. Something huge, but what exactly went on when you were a member of the Organization...when DiZ, Namine, and I were protecting Sora, Namine and I are hoping that you and Sora can figure out the truth."

"But-"

"Do you really want someone else telling you who you are, or more importantly, who you should be?" Riku asked quietly, looking him directly in the eyes. "Do you really want someone else intruding on _your _memories? Memories you can't even remember for yourself?"

"I..."

"Namine agrees with me. That's why we haven't said anything about the little we know concerning the past to either you or Sora. Your past is your own and no one else has the right to judge you for it. Only you have the right to judge yourself. You know who you were, and you know who you are now. Your opinion of yourself is the only one Sora needs to hear. How you see yourself, how you view your past, those are the things Sora needs to understand. How I see the past, how Namine sees the past, none of that matters. It's all about you, Roxas. Only you have the right to tell Sora who you were and who you really are now. Your past is his past, and he needs to hear it from you. The rest of us? We're just bystanders. Bystanders who want to hear the truth from _you._"

Roxas nodded slowly, and avoiding the older boy's eyes, he mumbled, "What about her? What about Xion?"

Riku blinked in surprise, clearly startled, but instead of looking nervous or angry the older boy's lips suddenly turned up in a small smile. "So...you've come as far as the name. When you remember, I'm sure Sora will be pretty interested to hear all about her. She's a part of this, too, and the reason your past, our pasts, are a mystery. It's all connected. And somehow...I think she's at the centre of it. And maybe...she's the reason why your past is so important, why you feel like you can't trust yourself anymore. I don't know, but it's a possibility. Sora needs to know, and someday, when you finally remember, I hope your memories will serve you well. Until then, don't forget, your past is what makes you who you are today. Cherish your memories and learn from them, but don't let them allow you to forget what's really important. Sora learned his lesson the hard way and so did I. Whatever you do, don't let the same thing happen to you."

"I won't."

_Namine, you're always trying to protect me. How can I hold that against you when all I want is to do the same for you?_

"Hey, aren't you two going to come here and say goodbye to Hayner, Pence, and Olette?" Kairi suddenly called out, interrupting his thoughts.

Turning, Roxas waved to the red-haired female in response and glancing at Riku, he said sheepishly, "I guess that's our cue to get moving."

"You won't take your frustrations out on Namine, will you?" Riku demanded, a slight frown marring his handsome features.

"No, and the same thing goes for you, too. At least I know now that I'm not imagining things. I'll figure out what's going on."

_And if I do, maybe it'll explain why Twilight Town seems...a little different than it usually does..._

"I'm sure you will," Riku agreed.

"Hey, Riku?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

To his surprise, Riku actually smiled at him, and pulling gently on his arm the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade said nonchalantly, "Come on, we should take Kairi's advice or we'll miss our chance to say goodbye to the others. Besides, Sora keeps looking over here and it's starting to get kind of annoying."

Roxas let out a gasp, and leaning close to the older boy, he whispered, "You mean...Sora's been watching us?"

"The whole time. Smooth move, Roxas. You've really made him start to worry now."

Riku just barely managed to get out of the way before both Oathkeeper and Oblivion collided with the back of his skull, and muttering to himself, Roxas quickly made his way over to the Keyblade Master's side. "We're leaving now?"

"Yes," Namine said softly, before Sora could answer. "Should we just beam back up to the Gummi Ship or should we have Chip and Dale land it on Sunset Hill?"

"We'd better beam back up. I don't trust Seifer," Donald grumbled.

Roxas nodded in agreement, and turning to gaze almost shyly at his three friends from Twilight Town, he said, "I'll see you guys later. Don't forget about me again, okay?"

"No way!" Olette cried, flinging her arms around him and burying her face against his shoulder. "I never forgot you. You were always in my heart."

"Come back and visit us as often as you can," Pence said cheerfully, though he looked a little down about having to say goodbye.

"I will, I promise."

Both Pence and Olette smiled at him, and turning to look at Hayner, Roxas suddenly felt the other boy clasp his hand in a tight grip. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and glaring at him, Hayner said fiercely, "It doesn't matter how far away you are or what world you're on. You're not going to get out of being my best friend so you'd better get your butt back here as soon as possible!"

"I take it this means you're ready for round two?"

Hayner grinned at him, and he felt the blond struggler's arm go around his shoulders in a one-armed hug. "Next time, I'll be the one beating you, not the other way around."

Roxas raised his eyebrows and smiling slightly, he said, "Is that a challenge?"

"You bet it is! The next struggle competition is _so_ mine!"

"If you want to win you're going to have to go through me first!"

Hayner nodded and pulling back slightly, he said eagerly, "I look forward to it. Forget about Seifer, I need some real competition!"

"It was nice to finally have a chance to meet you, Riku," Olette said softly, beaming at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade.

"Yeah, and Namine, too," Pence added.

"Which means neither one of you can get out of coming back here to visit us either," Hayner smirked.

"We'll be back," Riku promised, nodding his head and the three teens from Twilight Town.

"I can't wait to come back here," Namine said shyly.

"Everyone gather around, the Gummi Ship is waiting," Donald ordered, directing the group into position with his staff.

Roxas quickly moved closer to Sora, Namine taking up position on his other side, and turning to gaze back towards Sunset Terrace, he frowned at the tall buildings looming menacingly in the distance. Although he couldn't be sure, it felt almost as if there was a dark shadow hovering over Sunset Terrace, covering virtually the entire residential area of the town.

A shadow that did not actually exist, but Roxas could feel it all the same.

_I hope Hayner and the others will be okay..._

It was almost as if Namine had read his mind because all of a sudden he felt the golden-haired Nobody give his hand a quick squeeze, and blushing slightly he gave her fingers a grateful squeeze in return.

_Namine...One day I'll tell you how I feel. I promise..._

"Roxas?"

Turning to look at his other half, Roxas gave the Keyblade Master a quick smile. "Thanks, Sora."

"For what?"

"For...well...everything."

Sora smiled at him, and he felt the Kayblade Master place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Having both Namine and Sora close to him eased his fears somewhat, and almost without realizing it, he felt himself responding to their touch, his muscles relaxing easily beneath their hands.

_Everything will be okay._

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he couldn't forget the words of Organization XIII's Number VI...

XXXXXXXXXX

_Strolling as quietly as possible through the gloomy hallways of the castle in The World That Never Was, Roxas scratched the back of his head in confusion, trying and failing miserably to figure out just exactly where he was. Being relatively new to the Organization, a member of only nine days to be exact, at least according to Axel since he himself couldn't remember his first week, he still had trouble finding his way around the castle sometimes, and if Axel wasn't with him in the evenings, more often than not he would end up getting lost in one corridor or another, much to his annoyance. At least, that's what Axel had told him last night, which he couldn't really deny since he wasn't quite sure himself. During those unfortunate incidents like the one he was currently experiencing, and like the one he'd had the night before, normally he would just give up in despair and open a portal back to his own room, which was what he'd done last night, and from there he would proceed to start from the beginning again with hopes of finally reaching his destination, which had resulted in Axel having to search for him the night before, but today...today was different. It was something he couldn't really explain, but for some strange reason he couldn't quite summon the energy to start from scratch for what had to be the hundredth time since becoming a member of the Organization._

Well, maybe not _that_ many times. After all, I haven't exactly been a member of the Organization for very long, and it's not like I can even remember anything before yesterday, so who am I to say? And after today's mission with Marluxia and all those things he said about the Heartless...Maybe I'm just tired. That would explain why today seems worse than yesterday when it comes to finding my way around the castle. Or maybe it's because Axel hasn't shown up to help me out of this current mess I've gotten myself into. Speaking of Axel, I wonder where he is. He picks the worst times to disappear on me...

_Shaking his head in amusement, Roxas nearly smiled, which was something only Axel seemed able to make him do, and straightening his shoulders he proceeded to continue his useless attempt to find his way through the Organization's stronghold, feeling suddenly determined to keep on going until he reached at least one area of the castle he could vaguely recognize. _

Like the Grey Area where Saix gives us our missions or The Round Room where Xemnas holds all our meetings..._  
_

_With that thought in mind, he took a few small steps forward, the hem of his black coat rustling softly against the sleek, cold floor beneath his feet, but almost immediately he halted again when he spotted someone coming towards him through the shadows._

_Judging from the robed figure's height and stature, and the unusual colour of his hair, the young man moving towards Roxas could only be one person. _

_Number VI. The Cloaked Schemer._

What was his name again?

_Axel had mentioned all the names and ranks of the other members of the Organization to him the day before, pointing out each one as he did so while they'd strolled through the corridors of the castle late in the evening, so he hadn't really needed Marluxia's 'proper' introduction earlier this morning, but nevertheless, he still had trouble keeping up with so many names and faces to remember, especially since he'd only been to a couple of the meetings in The Round Room so far, none of which he could even remember since they'd all taken place during his first week as a member of the Organization. As far as Roxas could tell, Number VI hadn't noticed him yet, but even so he still felt a little bit embarrassed about his current predicament. After all, with the exception of Axel (and that was only because Axel had been extremely outgoing towards him right from the very beginning) he didn't really know the other members of the Organization very well yet, having as stated before, only been to a couple meetings involving the whole of the Organization so far, meetings he could not even recall, and as a result he was still getting to know their names and their roles within the Organization. Even Axel was still a mystery to him, and although he still didn't trust the red-haired Nobody completely, for some reason he found it hard to remain serious and focused while in the presence of The Flurry of Dancing Flames, despite his resolve to keep the other members of the Organization at arm's length. Though he had no proof, with the exception of Axel, he could tell they didn't trust him, at least not entirely. It was just a feeling he had__, but to him it didn't really matter since what the others thought of a rookie like himself was really no concern of his.  
_

But...what about Axel? He seems different from the others, and Demyx isn't so bad. A little annoying maybe, but not bad. And I guess the same thing can be said about some of the others...

_The only reason he had even come to know Axel so well in such a short time was because the red-haired Nobody had been quick to open up to him and even faster to accept him into the Organization, and quick to remind him of his first week as a member, but some of the others, like Number VI, he hadn't even had an opportunity to speak with yet._

Zexion. That's what his name is. I remember now.

_Gazing at The Cloaked Schemer as he made his way down the corridor, Roxas was surprised to find himself studying his fellow member of the Organization with something close to what might have been considered a spark of curiosity._

_Without any regard for his surroundings, Zexion glided down the length of the hallway with the air of someone who knew exactly where he was going, despite the fact that his nose was buried in a book and he did not appear to be at all aware of what was going on around him. And yet, despite the alarmingly thick spine his choice of reading material bore, he held the book open easily in his left hand, (his right hand being momentarily occupied with straightening his cloak) and although Roxas didn't have a clear view of the title etched onto its spine in gold lettering, he was quite sure The Cloaked Schemer's idea of an interesting book had to be something either positively boring or too complicated for any normal human being to comprehend._

If I keep quiet, he probably won't even notice me, but...

_Tired of walking around in circles, Roxas quickly hurried towards The Cloaked Schemer, effectively closing the gap between them before his Superior could reach him first. "Uh...Zexion?"_

_At the sound of his name, the mysterious Nobody known as Number VI came to a stop so abruptly Roxas nearly ran right into him, but thankfully he somehow managed to skid to a stop before almost slamming into his Superior's chest, which would have effectively sent them both crashing into the wall._

_Mumbling a quick apology, Roxas felt his face heat up, and gazing nervously at Number VI, he said, "Um...you're Zexion, right?"_

_The Cloak Schemer regarded him with a level look, but instead of responding he merely nodded his head, his one deep blue eye Roxas could see displaying absolutely no emotion whatsoever._

_Squirming slightly under Number VI's intense gaze, Roxas quickly lowered his eyes to the ground, but realizing all of a sudden that it probably wouldn't be a good idea to show any sign of weakness in front of the other members of the Organization, he quickly looked The Cloaked Schemer directly in the eye and said coldly, "You wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you? I seem to have taken a wrong turn and-"_

_Zexion slammed his book closed in one hand with a loud snap, and Roxas jumped in surprise, completely forgetting what he had just been about to say only a moment ago._

Huh? Why is he looking at me like that?

_To his surprise, Zexion suddenly moved closer to him and Roxas let out a gasp, startled by the other's unexpected movement, but instead of stopping The Cloaked Schemer merely glided past him, their black cloaks brushing together at the slight contact between their bodies, the soft rustle of their clothing echoing faintly in the hallway._

_"Hey, wait! Where are you-"_

_"Number XIII," Zexion said quietly, tilting his head slightly to look back over his shoulder, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Perhaps not my place to say, since this would be Luxord's area of expertise, and I'm not the superstitious type, but..."_

_"Huh?"_

_"XIII," Zexion murmured, shaking his head. "Number XIII. Such an unlucky number."  
_

_Roxas opened his mouth to respond, but before he could think up a suitable reply, The Cloaked Schemer glided around the corner of the hallway and disappeared from sight._

_**"Number XIII. Such an unlucky number..."**_

_Shivering slightly, Roxas stared blankly off into space, his forehead wrinkling in confusion._

What was that all about?

_Realizing all of a sudden that Zexion never did tell him where he was, Roxas quickly summoned a portal, immediately teleporting back to his room to once again make an attempt to reach his intended destination._

_ Starting at the beginning like usual, of course._

_XXXXXXXXXX  
_

"Roxas, I don't know what's going on here, but...I do know one thing," Sora said quietly in his ear, effectively bringing him back to the present.

"What's that?"

"If the worlds or any of our friends are in danger, this time we'll fight together."

Avoiding the Keyblade Master's eyes, he whispered, "We've always fought together. Always."

"I know, but this time it'll be different," Sora said firmly, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze. "This time we'll be there to help each other."

Roxas smiled, and without even having to think about it, he returned the Keyblade Master's gesture of affection. "It's a promise."

"A definite promise."

Beaming at Hayner, Pence, and Olette, Roxas waved one last time to his three friends before a stream of light suddenly surrounded his body, nearly obscuring his view of Sunset Hill.

_And to think my road led me here. To Hayner, Pence, and Olette. To Sora..._

_**"Number XIII. Such an unlucky number..."**_

After the incident with Organization XIII's Number VI in the corridors of the castle in The World That Never Was, right up until the day he left for Castle Oblivion, never to be seen again, Zexion had not once mentioned their unusual conversation, or lack thereof, even when they'd gone on their first mission together the day after the incident, and for that Roxas was grateful. Whether or not his suspicions about Twilight Town were real or merely just a figment of his imagination, he did not know, but there was one thing he did know beyond a shadow of a doubt. No matter what happened in the future, as long a he was with Sora, everything would be okay.

_We'll fight the darkness no matter what, and we'll win. Together we're unbeatable, and with our friends the darkness doesn't stand a chance._

Which was why the road Axel had made possible for him had led to this very moment, and it was also the reason why the lonely road of forgotten promises Sora had been forced to travel had eventually brought the Keyblade Master to an end he could never have foreseen. Without Sora even realizing it, a journey to find his friends had become a journey to find himself, and instead of finding only darkness at the end of the road, he had stumbled upon not only his friends, but also a golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade who all along had been waiting for him with open arms, surprising not only the Organization, but even the Key of Destiny himself.

_**"It's a name for those of us who are missing a vital piece of who we are: our hearts."**_

A name.

_A name that means nothing when you choose to follow your own path__, and sometimes the path we decide on doesn't always lead us where we think it will._

And sometimes that was a good thing.

No one should ever have to walk alone, at least in the eyes of Organization XIII's former Key of Destiny, and Roxas knew he would always be grateful that both his road, and Sora's road, had ended with each other.

The End

_"Walking this road without you, to remake forgotten promises, and meet you at road's end." (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories)_


End file.
